Category: 2024 season Week 10 – Steelers vs Commanders

Steelers WR George Pickens fined for Week 10 antics

The NFL fined George Pickens for his Week 10 altercation with Washington CB Mike Sainristil, citing the reasoning as a face-mask penalty.

Just when fans of the Black and Gold thought George Pickens had put the Week 10 grappling match between himself and Washington CB Mike Sainristil behind him, the NFL has decided to intervene on one key aspect of the altercation.

Towards the end of the third quarter in the Steelers’ Week 10 matchup against the Washington Commanders, QB Russell Wilson threw an interception, and Pickens took it upon himself to perform his best rendition of a three-point takedown on Sainristil, who was seemingly all but removed from the play.

While it’s unsurprising that the NFL took exception to Pickens’ actions and decided to fine him, the intriguing aspect is what the league chose to penalize the Steelers’ WR  $16,883 for: a face-mask penalty.

With the 7-2 Pittsburgh Steelers enjoying an impressive start to their 2024 campaign and needing as few outside distractions as possible, hopefully Pickens will treat the situation as a wake-up call.

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Cam Heyward retells snake scare horror story from Week 10 locker room

Cam Heyward shared a wild story of a snake sighting in the Steelers’ locker room before their Week 10 matchup with the Commanders.

As if facing the formerly 7-2, now 7-3, Washington Commanders in a rough road matchup wasn’t scary enough, it appears there was a Washington snake sighting in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ locker room for the Week 10 matchup.

In the soon-to-be-released 95th episode of Steelers’ DT Cam Heyward’s podcast, Not Just Football with Cam Heyward, there was a teaser released on social media that highlighted the retelling of a snake sighting in the Steelers’ locker room.

Heyward stated that while he was warming up before the Steelers’ matchup against the Commanders, his teammates were dealing with an actual snake in their locker room.

While the thought of the snake remaining in the locker room is frightening, luckily for the Steelers, Pittsburgh was able to leave that problem for the Washington Commanders and their Northwest Stadium staff to handle.

Pittsburgh has another member of the animal kingdom to conquer in Week 11: the Ravens. The Steelers will look to extend their lead over Baltimore in the AFC North divisional title race on November 17th, at 1:00 PM EST.

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Mike Tomlin highlights what led to fake-punt decision in Week 10

Mike Tomlin shed additional light on the decision to call the fake-punt against the Washington Commanders in Week 10.

While taking risks on special teams has paid off for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the past, the team hit a snag in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders. A failed fake punt nearly cost them the game, leading to plenty of questions for Head Coach Mike Tomlin.

In Monday’s press conference leading up to the Week 11 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, Tomlin explained what prompted the decision to attempt a fake punt in Washington: “We’re just not gonna allow people to do unorthodox and potentially unsound things against us. I’m not gonna allow people to over-stress our punt protection unit by leaving people uncovered when we have people capable of throwing and catching the football.”

Interestingly enough, though the play didn’t work as intended, Tomlin added that these special teams plays are a focus in 2024, and as routine as offensive or defensive calls.

Can fans of the Black and Gold expect more trick plays moving forward, or will Tomlin be forced to dial it back after the failed Week 10 attempt?

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Is it time to hit the panic button on Joey Porter Jr.?

As Joey Porter Jr. continues to shows signs of regression after a strong rookie year with the Steelers, is it time to panic?

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., the Steelers’ second-year cornerback from Penn State, entered his rookie season in 2023 with high expectations and ultimately earned the respect of both his peers and fans. However, his second NFL season has been disappointing, to say the least.

Through nine games in the 2024 season, Porter has allowed 26 receptions for 365 yards and a quarterback passer rating of 94.5. At this rate, he is on pace to allow 689 yards by the season’s end. This marks a noticeable decline from his 2023 rookie season, where he allowed just 25 receptions for 385 yards and a QB passer rating of 68.8 over 17 games.

Though Porter has shown inconsistency throughout the season, his worst performance came in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders. He allowed 131 yards on six receptions, which accounted for 71% of Washington’s 182 total receiving yards.

Pittsburgh may need to evaluate its options moving forward, perhaps by giving Porter additional practice reps or placing a safety over him during man-coverage plays, as the Steelers defense need to keep his inefficiency under control heading into a difficult second half stretch of the 2024 season.

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Steelers lead NFL in second-half scoring margin

Despite slow starts, the Steelers lead the NFL in second-half scoring margin, with strong comebacks like their Week 10 win over Washington.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Such is the case with Pittsburgh in 2024. While the Steelers look vastly improved compared to recent seasons, they still manage to start off games slowly, picking up steam as the second half rolls around.

Such was the case in the Week 10 victory over the Washington Commanders. Heading into halftime, the Steelers trailed 17-14. However, Pittsburgh’s second-half resurgence would once again push the team to victory, as they outscored Washington 14-10, finishing the game 28-27.

Pittsburgh has done this plenty of times throughout the 2024 season, with one of the most notable examples coming in Week 7, when the Steelers scored 24 unanswered points in the second half.

Coaching indeed matters, as once Pittsburgh improves their first-half production, the team will be immediate Super Bowl favorites.

The Steelers will need all facets of their team to stay sharp throughout the entirety of the game moving forward, as Pittsburgh faces extremely tough matchups from Weeks 11-18, which are considered to create the most difficult remaining schedule in the NFL.

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Mike Williams takes shots at Aaron Rodgers following game-deciding TD

Mike Williams took a shot at Aaron Rodgers on social media after his Week 10 game-winning TD, referencing their past tension

It’s safe to say that QB Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets won’t be getting the last laugh anytime soon, as former Jet and current Steelers WR Mike Williams is quickly becoming a fan favorite in the Steel City. Williams seemingly still has a chip on his shoulder following his exit from New York and took a shot at his former QB.

After his team’s victory over the Washington Commanders in Week 10, Williams quickly took to social media to showcase an image of his incredible game-deciding TD reception late in the fourth quarter, with a caption containing an interesting jab at Rodgers:  “RedLine”.

This is, of course, referencing Rodgers’ infamous public call-out of Williams for running the wrong route, the ‘red line,’ following the Jets’ loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 6.

Rodgers and Williams seemingly have unresolved drama from their time as teammates in New York. However, it’s reassuring that with his performance in Week 10—scoring as many points as the entire New York Jets’ offense did on Sunday—Williams can put this chapter to bed.

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NFL Network analyst breaks down Patrick Queen’s performance in Week 10

Patrick Queen’s dominant Week 10 performance, highlighted by Brian Baldinger, showcased his elite skills and playmaking ability.

The Patrick Queen redemption tour seemingly started to take shape in the Steelers’ Week 10 contest against the Washington Commanders.

While the Steelers’ initial acquisition of Queen this past offseason was met with excitement from fans and players alike, his performance through the first eight weeks of the season had been inconsistent, to say the least.

However, Queen’s elite Week 10 performance caught the attention of fans and analysts alike, as NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger, host of Baldy’s Breakdowns, highlighted what made Queen so special against Washington on Sunday.

Wherever the ball went, more often than not, Queen was following. His speed and spectacular tackling ability were evident on several key tackles on Washington’s QB Jayden Daniels, WR Terry McLaurin, and RB Austin Ekeler.

Queen’s play recognition will surely be of great use in the team’s Week 11 contest against the Baltimore Ravens, where the Steelers will need every physical and mental ability sharply tuned to stop his former teammate, QB Lamar Jackson, from taking over the game.

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Fans react to George Pickens’ latest on-field antics

Fans are split on George Pickens’ on-field actions after Week 10’s interception, as his physicality raised some eyebrows.

In Week 10, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Washington Commanders 28-27 in an incredible back-and-forth matchup. While the team can hold their heads high as they improve to 7-2 on the season, one Steelers player found himself in some on-field drama.

Toward the end of the third quarter, George Pickens added some unnecessary physicality against Commanders CB Mike Sainristil. After Russell Wilson threw an interception on a deep pass intended for Pickens, the Steelers wide receiver took the chance to show off his best imitation of a three-point takedown on Sainristil.

Video clips began circulating on social media, raising the question: did Pickens once again go too far?

Fans seem divided. While his actions may be detestable to some, the physicality reminds others of legendary wide receivers from the Steelers’ past.

Love it or hate it, here are some of the best fan reactions to Pickens’ on-field actions following Wilson’s interception in Week 10.

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Ben Roethlisberger’s live reaction to Week 10’s game-ending penalty

Steelers’ legendary QB Ben Roethlisberger shared his excitement over the game-winning neutral zone infraction in Week 10 against Washington.

You can take Big Ben out of Pittsburgh, but you can never take Pittsburgh out of Big Ben.

Steelers’ legendary QB Ben Roethlisberger had his eyes glued to the team’s Week 10 matchup against the Washington Commanders, even sharing his live reaction to Russell Wilson’s hard count that resulted in a game-winning neutral zone infraction penalty.

With 1:02 left in the game, Pittsburgh led 28-27 but faced a critical fourth-and-one situation. A turnover could have sealed their fate, but Wilson capitalized on the moment with an impressive hard count and cadence. The move drew Commanders’ DT Johnny Newton into the neutral zone, giving the Steelers a first down and sealing the win.

Roethlisberger had an incredible and hilarious reaction to what unfolded on his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.

Big Ben jumping out of his seat with excitement is exactly how most Steelers fans, including myself, reacted to the ending of the contest. Truly, Newton only had one job to do, but no one in the Steel City is complaining about his lack of composure to end the game if favor of the Black and Gold.

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Steelers fans took over Northwest Stadium

Check out this video of Steeler Nation taking over the Commanders stadium.

It doesn’t matter who the team is. They can be a bad team that struggles to sell tickets or a top team that sells out. The Pittsburgh Steelers will take over your stadium when they come to town. Steeler Nation are Legion and they are many. This was 100 percent evident on Sunday when thousands and thousands of Steelers fans descended on Northwest Stadium and drowned out the home fans.

Check out this video below for the prime example of just how loud Steeler Nation can get.

If you are a Steelers fan, this video has to give you chills. Head coach Mike Tomlin and the players alike all give huge props to the fans for how they make road games feel like home games.

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