LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers to a 28-27 comeback victory over Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders.
Washington (7-3) led 24-14 but couldn’t hold on as it attempted to get to 8-2 overall for the first time since 1986 and 5-0 at home for the first time since 1991, when the team went on to win the Super Bowl under coach Joe Gibbs.
“Too many small mistakes,” defensive end Clelin Ferrell said.
Daniels, the No. 2 overall draft pick who has starred for first-year coach Dan Quinn, was 17 for 34 for 202 yards without a touchdown or interception. He also had three carries for 5 yards, his lowest output as a pro, while still dealing with a rib injury that he described as “still there, but it’s nothing that’s holding me back.”
As for watching his counterpart Wilson, Daniels observed: “He made plays when the plays needed to be made.”
Never more so than on the over-the-shoulder toss to Williams — his only catch of the game — to turn a six-point deficit into a one-point lead for the visitors.
Pickens’ take on what Wilson showed there?
“That’s one of his biggest components of his game: trusting his receivers,” Pickens said.
After that play, Daniels moved Washington to midfield. On fourth-and-9 with less than 1 1/2 minutes to go, Daniels connected with Zach Ertz, but the catch was ruled just short of a first down; until then, the Commanders were 11 for 11 on fourth down this season.
On the ensuing possession, Pittsburgh faced a fourth-and-1 at Washington’s 49 with 1:02 on the clock and decided to line up as if to go for it. But Wilson’s hard count got rookie defensive lineman Johnny Newton to jump too soon, and the penalty allowed the Steelers to keep the ball and run out the clock.
This was far from a perfect performance by Pittsburgh, though.
Commanders safety Jeremy Chinn picked off Wilson late in the third quarter and recovered Jaylen Warren’s fumble at the 1-yard line in the fourth.
The worst turnover by the Steelers had to be the fake punt deep in its own territory in the first quarter. The snap went to up-back Miles Killebrew, who threw to a wide-open James Pierre, but he dropped the ball. That gave Washington possession at Pittsburgh’s 15, and three plays later, Austin Ekeler scored the first of his two short touchdowns runs.
“That is me. I own that. I’ll do it again,” Tomlin said. “But we didn’t execute it, so it was a bad idea.”
Injuries
C Tyler Biadasz (ankle) left the game briefly but returned. … RT Andrew Wylie (shoulder) was a late scratch, while newly acquired CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring), RB Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring) and K Austin Seibert (hip) sat out, as expected. … Seibert’s replacement, Zane Gonzalez, made two field goals.
Up next
Commanders will face Philadelphia on Thursday night.
