Washington stuns Steelers to ruin unbeaten season
The Pittsburgh Steelers spent three months flirting with perfection, insisting all the time they were far from f lawless.
They weren’t wrong. Pittsburgh’s bid for an unbeaten season is over. Washington’s bid for an unlikely division title may just be beginning.
Alex Smith threw for 296 yards and a touchdown, Dustin Hopkins kicked a tiebreaking 45-yard field goal with 2:04 remaining, and visiting Washington beat the Steelers 23-17 on Monday night.
Pittsburgh (11-1) missed a chance to clinch a playoff berth and dropped into a tie with defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City for the top spot in the AFC with four games remaining. A day after the New York Giants pulled an upset in Seattle, Washington (5-7) kept pace by rallying from 14 points down to win in Pittsburgh for the first time since 1991.
Washington won the Super Bowl that season. The club’s expectations this year are far more modest in Ron Rivera’s first season as coach.
Not so in Pittsburgh, which got off to the best start in the franchise’s 87year history even as the offense occasionally worked in fits and spurts. In a game pushed back a day due to a COVID-19 outbreak that forced the NFL to re-schedule Baltimore’s annual visit to Heinz Field three times, the little mistakes Pittsburgh managed to get away with for 11 games became too much to overcome.
Ben Roethlisberger passed for 305 yards and two touchdowns, but was picked off by Jon Bostic — a former Steeler — with 1:59 remaining. Hopkins added another 45-yard field goal to help close it out.
Pittsburgh reached midfield on its final possession but time ran out.
The Steelers appeared to be in firm control after Roethlisberger found James Washington for a 50-yard touchdown in the second quarter that put them up 14-0.
Smith, under heavy pressure much of the night, finally got something going late in the first half. A Hopkins field goal got the team on the board in the final seconds. A 1-yard touchdown run by Peyton Barber midway through the third quarter pulled Washington within 14-10, and a lob from Smith to a wide-open Logan Thomas for a 15-yard touchdown tied it at 17-all.
JETS FIRE DC WILLIAMS AFTER QUESTIONABLE CALL >> Gregg Williams’ curious call cost the New York Jets their first win — and the defensive coordinator his job.
A person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press that the Jets fired Williams, whose stunning play call Sunday against the Raiders was highly criticized by fans, media and even his own players.
The still-winless Jets (012) were seconds away from their first victory until Williams inexplicably called for an all- out blitz against Las Vegas. Derek Carr heaved a perfectly placed 46-yard touchdown pass to Henry Ruggs III — who was in man-to-man, or Cover Zero, coverage with rookie cornerback Lamar Jackson — with 5 seconds left to lift the Raiders to a 31-28 win.
It left the Jets players, who only moments earlier were celebrating what appeared to be a win, in shock on the sideline. Team captain Marcus Maye took an uncharacteristic swipe at Williams after the game, saying that the defense should have been in a better call in that situation.
“We just played the call that the coaches called,” Maye said. “We’ve got to execute, but you’ve got to help us out at the same time and be in a better call at that spot.”
It all ended up costing Williams his job.
The 62-year-old Williams had been the Jets’ defensive coordinator the past two seasons under Adam Gase. He has had several stops through the NFL during a 30-year career.
RAVENS QB JACKSON ACTIVATED >> Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list. The reigning NFL MVP was not alone, as the Ravens also activated fullback Patrick Ricard, long snapper Morgan Cox and defensive tackle Justin Madubuike from the list.
The moves came one day ahead of the Ravens’ clash against the visiting Dallas Cowboys (3-8).
CHIEFS RALLY, CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH >> Patrick Mahomes threw for 318 yards and a touchdown, Harrison Butker was perfect on five field goals, and the Kansas City Chiefs held off the Denver Broncos 22-16 on Sunday night.
The Chiefs clinched a playoff berth by improving to 11-1 for the second time in franchise history.