While the Pittsburgh Steelers are leaving Ireland with a win, it wasn’t easy. They played three quarters of great football, but then they almost let victory slip through their fingers. A failed fourth-down conversation gave the Minnesota Vikings a chance. Then, a blown coverage by the Steelers’ defense allowed Carson Wentz to hit a wide-open Jordan Addison down the sideline. It looked like he had a free touchdown. But Payton Wilson didn’t give up on the play. He brought Addison down right outside of the Steelers’ end zone.
Despite that play hurting the Steelers, Patrick Queen doesn’t want anyone to forget Wilson’s efforts.
“Payton Wilson play of the game to me,” Queen wrote on Twitter after the game.
Queen doesn’t specify which specific play he’s talking about, but it seems like he’s referring to Wilson’s tackle on Addison. It might not have put points on the board for the Steelers, but it was important in its own way.
Though Wilson stopped Addison from scoring, the Vikings eventually capped that drive with a touchdown. It took them a few tries, but on fourth down, the Vikings made it a one-possession game.
Despite that, Wilson’s play was still impactful because he helped shave time off the clock. With the way the Steelers’ defense played in the fourth quarter, time was the Vikings’ biggest enemy. They had a chance to come back, but little time to do so.
When the clock started on Addison’s big play, approximately three-and-a-half minutes remained in the fourth quarter. Wilson made the tackle with just over three minutes left. However, by the time the Vikings scored their touchdown, there were only around two minutes left.
Therefore, Wilson’s play shaved around a minute off the clock. That was huge because the Vikings got the ball back after that. They could have gone down the field and tied, or potentially won, the game.
Instead, the pressure got to the Vikings, and they couldn’t score again. The Steelers’ defense stood tall in the biggest moment, but they wouldn’t have had that opportunity without Wilson’s efforts. For a linebacker to make that play is special. It speaks to Wilson’s athleticism. He hasn’t yet had the breakout season people anticipated, but that play showed why the Steelers believe in his potential.
