Offseason moves transform Steelers dramatically

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14), defended by Washington Commanders cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, catches a 16-yard pass for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

By Will Graves

The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH — On the surface, the call was risky, but only to those who haven’t been paying attention to how the Pittsburgh Steelers go about their business these days.

Backed up in the first quarter against Washington on Sunday and getting ready to punt, All-Pro Miles Killebrew, serving as the upback, saw one of the Commanders’ gunners creep down the line of scrimmage to help out on a potential block, leaving teammate James Pierre all by himself on the outside.

So Killebrew, the captain of perhaps the best special teams unit in the NFL, did what longtime coordinator Danny Smith has empowered him to do: He gambled, taking the snap and flipping a pass to an open Pierre down the left sideline. Pierre, perhaps showing why he’s a cornerback and not a wide receiver by trade, dropped it, giving the Commanders pristine field position that they quickly turned into a touchdown.

Ultimately it didn’t matter. Not after the Steelers erased a 10-point second-half deficit to edge Washington 28-27 and improve to 7-2 following a game that in many ways symbolized the shift in the tectonic plates that long have governed arguably the NFL’s most stable franchise.

Zoom out and Killebrew’s decision simply falls in line with the accelerated sense of urgency that has permeated every level of the organization over the last 10 months.

Consider this: The winning touchdown was thrown by a quarterback ( Russell Wilson ) who wasn’t on the roster in February and not in the lineup until October. It was caught by a wide receiver (Mike Williams) who began last week as a member of the New York Jets.

Pittsburgh spent the first two seasons of the post-Ben Roethlisberger era trying to do things the way it has always done them: methodically and pragmatically. Only Kenny Pickett didn’t pan out. The offense continued to sputter under Matt Canada and the NFL’s most expensive defense made enough plays to keep the Steelers competitive but not enough to close the gap between Pittsburgh and the powers that be in the AFC.

That chasm suddenly looks far more navigable than it did a month ago, when Mike Tomlin thanked Justin Fields for his solid if not always spectacular play during a 4-2 start and handed the offense over to Wilson. Fields had done everything Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith asked of him. He took care of the ball. He used his legs to make plays. He did what he could to not lose games.

The decision to go to Wilson, however, came with a message that not losing is no longer good enough. The games with Fields behind center looked like so many of them over the last half-decade or so — the defense kept things tight and a play or two from the offense created a narrow pathway to victory.

Yet the NFL’s longest-tenured coach knew he hadn’t seen enough. If Pittsburgh wants to end a playoff victory drought that dates to the 2016 AFC championship — the longest gap between postseason wins since the Immaculate Reception 52 years ago — Tomlin knew his offense would have to be more than serviceable for the Steelers to catch the Kansas Cities and Buffaloes of the world.

So he flipped to Wilson, who has silenced his doubters one moonball at a time. The latest proof came on that lob to the end zone in the waning minutes to Williams, something Tomlin had seen on highlight shows but developed a greater appreciation for while watching it play out in real time right in front of him.

There is a long way to go, to be sure. The final two months include six AFC North games, a trip to Philadelphia and a Christmas Day showdown with Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs.

If anything can be taken away from Pittsburgh’s promising first half of the season, it’s that it is no longer comfortable with the status quo. And Tomlin may have tipped his hand when talking about a fourth-and-1 call in the last minute that led to Washington jumping offside, allowing the Steelers to seal the game.

Asked if Wilson was actually going to snap the ball if the Commanders didn’t jump, Tomlin smiled.

“We will never know, will we?” Tomlin said. “You all know I’m a degenerate.”

And no longer satisfied with trusting the process. Pittsburgh blew the way it normally does things in the offseason. Nine games in, the Steelers are reaping the benefits during a year when the ceiling appears to be rising with each passing week.

What’s working

Spreading the ball around. Wilson targeted nine different players — even third tight end MyCole Pruitt got a look — and it’s telling of Wilson’s “throw it to whoever, whenever” approach that his bomb to Williams marked the first time he looked Williams’ way all day.

What needs help

Not much for a team that is a handful of plays away from being 9-0. If Williams’ arrival can create more opportunities for George Pickens, the Steelers could have one of the more potent offenses in the league, something they haven’t had since the height of the “Killer B’s” era in the late 2010s.

Stock up

Nine months after the Denver Broncos paid nearly $40 million to let Wilson walk, the nine-time Pro Bowler looks rejuvenated in Pittsburgh.

Stock down

The defense is elite, but sometimes that aggressiveness can be a double-edged sword. Pittsburgh needs to avoid the kind of penalties — face masks and pass interferences, etc. — that piled up against Washington, allowing the Commanders to extend drives.

Injuries

Pittsburgh will begin the stretch run relatively healthy, though depth at outside linebacker could be a concern after Alex Highsmith turned his left ankle chasing down Jayden Daniels in the fourth quarter on Sunday.

Key number

92.3 — The percentage of teams since 1990 that have started the season 7-2 and reached the playoffs.

Next steps

See if they can continue to be Lamar Jackson’s Kryptonite when the Baltimore Ravens visit Pittsburgh on Sunday. Jackson is just 2-4 against the Steelers in his career.