During his 228-word opening statement following his team’s defensively-inspired win Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin mentioned just one of his players by name for a non-injury reason.
It wasn’t the two-takeaway Minkah Fitzpatrick, nor the two-sack T.J. Watt. It wasn’t the starting quarterback, either.
“I really thought,” Tomlin said, “James Washington rose up big tonight.”
Those nine little words spoke big about Washington’s performance during a 17-12 victory against the Los Angeles Rams. The second-year Washington had career highs in receptions (six) and yards (90) and had his second NFL touchdown.
Combined with what had been a career-best four catches seven days prior in a victory against the Indianapolis Colts, Washington has doubled his 2019 receptions and almost doubled his season yardage.
Those whispers that Washington was a morphing into a second-round bust? They have gone silent now that he’s showing appropriate production.
“James has been coming along the last couple of games and making some big-time conversion catches,” quarterback Mason Rudolph said.
Among those was a leaping catch along the end zone’s sideline late in the first quarter Sunday. He added five other first-down catches of at least nine yards – all from the quarterback with which he won Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top college receiver two years ago at Oklahoma State.
Rudolph’s touchdown pass to Washington! #Steelers pic.twitter.com/d0UPXFLJHg
— SteelVideos (@SteelBlitzburgh) November 10, 2019
“Yeah it kind of brought back some memories,” Washington said of Sunday. “just the connection between me and Mason.”
What might have brought back memories of far less joy was what happened at the end of Washington’s longest gain Sunday – he fumbled.
“I just got too ‘nosy’ downfield,” Washington said of getting stripped after a 34-yard gain. “It’s football, it’s gonna happen. But as a ball handler you don’t want that to happen, obviously. But you learn from your mistakes.”
Washington seems to be learning from his past failures, such as his high-profile mistimed dive in Denver last season. If he continues to progress, he finally could emerge as a reliable part of a receivers corps that has lacked consistency and lacks proven pedigree beyond JuJu Smith-Schuster.
James Washington’s Block! ? #Steelers pic.twitter.com/pTTO9qIIVj
— SteelVideos (@SteelBlitzburgh) October 29, 2019
Washington said his confidence began to grow two weeks ago after a win against the Miami Dolphins in which he delivered a crushing block in the end zone to facilitate a Dionate Johnson touchdown.
“I’ve just tried to keep building from that, from that feeling that I had at the end of that game.,” Washington said. “I’ve just tried to keep building on that and continuing to have that feeling after every game.”
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