Although they won the game, the Pittsburgh Steelers were in some rough spots against the Washington Commanders. Specifically, the Commanders tried stepping on the Steelers’ throat in the second half. They went down and scored a touchdown, going up by 10 points. However, the Steelers’ offense responded well, battling back to win the game. It sounds like that really impressed new Steeler Preston Smith.
“They don’t let nothing affect them,” Smith said Monday to Missi Matthews on The Extra Point. “They always come to play until the clock hits zero. They never give up. They always find ways to get better throughout the game.
“They communicate well, and everybody has a positive mindset throughout the whole game. I never seen an ounce of negativity creep in at no moment in the game. Everybody stay positive. Everybody stay ready to go out there and do their job.”
That attitude was on full display against the Commanders. There were a few different moments where the Steelers could’ve gotten down on themselves. Early on, they had the Commanders on the ropes, but a failed fake punt totally shifted the momentum of the game. The Steelers easily could’ve let the frustration from that affect them, but they didn’t.
Then, the Commanders scored a touchdown to end the first half, followed by another touchdown to open the second half. Things looked bleak, but again, the Steelers fought back. Even when the Commanders picked off Russell Wilson late in the third quarter and had a chance to add to their lead, the Steelers didn’t blink.
They even fumbled late in the fourth quarter on the one-yard line, yet they came back to score the game-winning touchdown on the next drive. All of that came against one of the best teams in the NFL, too. Smith got a firsthand look at how much fight the Steelers have.
That’s probably a great introduction to the team for Smith. Fans know how much the Steelers love playing one-score games. Smith better get used to having to fight for all four quarters to win a game. The Steelers usually don’t make things easy.
For what it’s worth, Smith was also part of that fighting group. He had a successful debut with the Steelers, recording a sack and two tackles-for-loss. When Alex Highsmith left with an injury, Smith stepped in, and the team didn’t miss a beat. It looks like he’s going to fit in well in Pittsburgh.
