The Washington Commanders are arguably the surprise of the season, entering Sunday with a 7-2 record and leading the NFC East. An offense firing on all cylinders led by rookie QB Jayden Daniels and a multiple offense that’s been hard to slow down, the Pittsburgh Steelers held them in check for most of the day. While Washington still posted 27 points, Daniels had one of his worst games of the year and the Commanders’ offense didn’t function as smoothly against the Steelers’ defense as it had in the previous nine. Pittsburgh came out on top with a hard-fought 28-27 win.
For the Steelers, that was intentional. Speaking with reporters after the game, Mike Tomlin said the defense’s goal was to keep Washington off -balance.
“We did a lot today that they weren’t accustomed to,” he said to reporters via the team website. “They had only had 13 three-and-outs through nine football games. That was an agenda of ours. Forty-seven percent of their drives reached the red zone. That was an agenda of ours. They’re a dangerous group. They’re a hot group. But we wanna be the firemen. We wanna put that stuff out.”
Washington still posted 27 points, only a touch under its season average. But they had to pull teeth to get there and were aided by plus field position, first finding the end zone off the Steelers’ unsuccessful fake punt. They were just 5-of-14 on third down, 35.7 percent, despite entering the game at 45.9 percent, fifth-best in the NFL.
They had punted only 19 times all season, an average of barely more than twice per game, and went without a punt in two games this season. Sunday, Tress Way finished the game with a season-high six of them. Washington was used to striking fast but punted on its first two possessions all season.
While the Commanders had three red zone trips, one because of the failed fake, only 25 percent of their drives reached inside the Steelers’ 20. That’s down from the nearly 50 percent that Tomlin referenced.
For the first time all season, the Commanders failed to convert on fourth down after entering Week 10 a perfect 11-for-11. Their missed conversion was by literal inches, TE Zach Ertz deemed just shy of the marker, but it was a turnover on downs all the same.
Finally, Daniels was held to just four yards rushing. He came into the game rushing for at least 20 yards in every contest this season with more than 40 yards in six of them. The Steelers held the Commanders to just 60 yards rushing and 2.7 yards per carry even if they scored three times.
Pittsburgh dictated the game. It dragged Washington down into the mud and turned it into a sloppy, ugly, and physical contest played on the Steelers’ terms. The Commanders couldn’t run the crisp and smooth offense that they had all season, and it showed on the field, missing easy completions and being just off on others. Their run game wasn’t as strong and they faltered late, scoring just three points on their final five possessions. True to Tomlin form, the Steelers found a way to squeak out another one-score victory.
