Although they don’t all show up on the scoreboard, sometimes defenders make game-altering plays. That’s exactly what Payton Wilson did for the Pittsburgh Steelers towards the end of their Sunday win against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Steelers held a commanding lead late in the second half. Unfortunately, Minnesota slowly started to chip away at it late in the fourth quarter. In a race against time, they tried to score quickly and get the ball back with enough time to tie the game, or possibly take the lead. Jordan Addison broke free down the sideline and had one of the easiest chances to score that he’s seen in his entire career.
That is, until Payton Wilson tracked him down just before he crossed the goal line. And according to Ben Roethlisberger, that play should endear him to Steelers fans everywhere.
“That play right there should have endeared him to Steelers fans, regardless of what you think of him; you should love that guy forever,” Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast, posted Tuesday. “That’s embodying the Steeler way. Never quitting, never giving up… It’ll go down as a top-10 play, maybe top-five, maybe the play of the season, when we look back on the season. I say to you, Payton, unbelievable. That’s called being a Pittsburgh Steeler.”
Looking at the play from the all-22, it’s genuinely shocking that Wilson was able to make the tackle. Addison is an athletic receiver, and he has a five-yard advantage on Wilson after catching the ball and cutting upfield. Yet, Wilson flies down the field and brings him down just before he scores.
Despite being impressive to watch, the play was a massive turning point in the game. Pittsburgh held a 24-14 lead at the time. If Addison scored, Minnesota would have cut the lead to 24-21 with just over three minutes remaining. Addison picking up those yards shifted some momentum. But the Vikings would have had plenty of time to try and get a stop and get the ball back if he scored on the play.
Instead, Minnesota had to bleed an entire minute off the clock, scoring just ahead of the two-minute warning. As a result, they didn’t have enough time to work their way into field goal range once they got the ball back.
It was a big play, but part of an important game for Payton Wilson. In his first year as a starter, he has somewhat struggled. After the Steelers turned to Cole Holcomb in Week 3, it was important for Wilson to step up last week. He did exactly that and helped save the Steelers’ win with that amazing tackle.
