The Pittsburgh Steelers decided not to place S Minkah Fitzpatrick on the Reserve/Injured List, hopeful that he would be able to return without needing to miss the full four games that would have been required had they done so.
He’s only missed two games so far, and there is as yet no indication for his status next week, but he still managed to put his stamp on Sunday’s victory over the Green Bay Packers. According to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, Fitzpatrick essentially called the play that won the game—or at least strongly suggested it.
“Me and [defensive backs coach Grady Brown] talked [defensive coordinator Teryl Austin] into changing it”, he said of the final play of the game, which ended with a Damontae Kazee interception. He said that he “had an idea”, reminiscent of a familiar moment from a few years back.
Kaboly indicates that Austin intended to have the defense play man coverage from the Steelers’ 16-yard line on 1st and 10 with just three seconds to play. Attrition had already left them down some members of the secondary, with practice squad S Tristan Thompson on the field.
Instead of going man to man, they lined up seven defenders around the goal line with just four rushers. The rush was successful in collapsing the pocket, forcing QB Jordan Love to rush the throw to whatever man he could find. Kazee was in position to jump the route without too much difficulty to intercept the ball, his eyes squarely in the backfield.
Fitzpatrick reportedly got the idea from the same approach the Steelers took in defending the final play of a 2020 game against the Baltimore Ravens in a strikingly similar situation. Up by four points with the Ravens facing 2nd and 10 from the Steelers’ 28 with five seconds to play, the defense played the goal line. Fitzpatrick himself made the play, breaking up the pass at the goal line.
That week, and the next week as well, once again recording the clinching pass defensed against the Dallas Cowboys. That time Dallas was at the 23, down five, with four seconds to play. Fitzpatrick made both of those plays himself, so he had a good idea of how it should look. And so he helped set the table.
While he is a tremendously gifted athlete, Fitzpatrick’s greatest attribute may well be his football intelligence, married to his dedication to studying the game. Certain players get described as “an extra coach on the field”. On this occasion, he had to settle for being a play caller on the sideline.
If you recall, the Steelers called a timeout just before that play. You can see below how the defense was set up before the timeout, and how it changed after.
Of course, we can’t say for sure that the original call wouldn’t have worked just as well had they run it that way. But we know how the play as run worked, and you can’t argue with the results—unless you’re special teams coordinator Danny Smith.
