Following each game in the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers season, I will highlight the event, or string of events, in the game that was the turning point. Not all turning points will be earth-shattering but are meant to give a unique look at how we arrived at the outcome of the game, one that may be hard to see during the live watch.
When the Steelers signed Russell Wilson all the way back in March, they brought in one of the best comeback artists in NFL history. That was one of the few things Kenny Pickett was good at, and they definitely didn’t lose that with the move to Wilson.
The Steelers’ game against the Commanders was so close until the very end, so it’s hard to name anything earlier in the game as the turning point. This week’s turning point happened late, with Wilson taking over the game. We are going to highlight two plays in particular. One prevented the final drive from stalling, and the other was the game-winning touchdown on a signature Wilson moon ball to trade-deadline addition Mike Williams.
On the Steelers’ final scoring drive, first down was an illegal formation, and the next play was a loss of one by Najee Harris. With under five minutes to go and down six points, the Steelers had to treat it like it was their final drive. Wilson deserves a lot of credit for the 2nd-and-16 completion to Calvin Austin III, but Austin deserves just as much for his quick thinking and improvisation.
It was similar to an old Ben Roethlisberger play where he evades pressure, pump fakes, rolls back the other way and then finds a receiver who improvised on a route. It was like backyard football, and Wilson and Austin both executed perfectly.
Austin saw that he was working right over Pat Freiermuth with no real benefit to both being that close, so he actually started running the other direction before Wilson committed to rolling back to his right. That left him wide open long enough for Wilson to spot him and deliver the pass for a 13-yard gain. People were worried about Wilson’s mobility when the Steelers made the change away from Justin Fields, but he can definitely still make plays with his legs.
It would have all but ended the game had the Steelers gotten to 3rd and 16, so this play was key to turning the tide of the game. Just a few plays later on third down, Wilson sealed the deal with probably his best throw as a member of the Steelers.
I’ll be honest, when I watched the ball leave Wilson’s hand, I was pretty certain the result was going to be not great for the Steelers. He didn’t really have his feet set with immediate pressure in his face. At best, I was thinking the pass would sail out of bounds. At worst I was thinking another deep interception. Sure enough I was wrong, and it dropped perfectly into the bucket for Williams.
That was exactly the Russell Wilson that I grew up watching in Seattle, always figuring out a way to make an absurd play in the weightiest moments of the game. He moved up a spot on the all-time game-winning drives list and the fourth-quarter comeback list. Wilson’s clutch factor is yet another reason why I believe this Steelers team can make noise in the postseason.
