The last-minute loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers stung badly for the Washington Commanders, said head coach Dan Quinn.
But the Steelers’ 28-27 comeback victory provided a lot of lessons for his team.
“Heading into this game, I thought it was going to be a hard fought game,” he said in a post-game interview. “It was just like we expected.”
The Commanders players were having fun at the start of the game with big hits and plays in front of a home crowd of 66,192 at Northwest Stadium that included a significant number of Terrible Towel-waving Steelers fans. Quinn said he knows Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin well and respects his style of play.
“I love him, I love what he’s about, I knew it was going to be tough,” Quinn said. “We got a tough crew too. So I wanted to make sure we established who we are too. We had to prepare for them, but they … also had to deal with us, make sure we play physical, and go after tackles. We got lots of work to do, but from the effort and mindset standpoint, we’re gaining on that.”
Pittsburgh has blitzed Daniels a lot more than they've shown in other games. Keeping him in the pocket. For Daniels, this is a "just be a competitor" kind of game. Ignore aesthetics.
— John Keim (@john_keim) November 10, 2024
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels said after the game his teammates are passionate, and the locker room was feeling down after the team’s first loss at home. Little aspects of the game added up, he said.
“Hats off to (the Steelers), just a great scheme that they had,” he said. “But we didn’t make the plays and opportunities when they presented.”
Daniels completed 17 of 34 passes for 202 yards and rushed for just 5 yards on three carries.
The Steelers edged out the Commanders thanks to a 32-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Russell Wilson to newly acquired wide receiver Mike Williams with 2 minutes, 22 seconds remaining in the game.
I just don't see any arm from Russell Wilson. Time to move to Justin Fields.
— Rick Snider's Washington (@Snide_Remarks) November 10, 2024
The “little aspects” Daniels referred to make all the difference in a close game, said Rick Snider, Command Post columnist. It was a good effort nonetheless to start stacking wins.
“If you want to join the elite, you gotta bridge those tiny gaps,” he said.
The Commanders battled against the Terrible Towels by handing out burgundy-colored towels to fans as they walked through the gates. Snider estimated that the crowd was 60% Steelers fans, fewer than in past games.
“Either way, it was a raucous atmosphere with no one leaving until the Commanders blew a fourth-down defensive stop in the final moments,” Snider said.
Trying to digest the #Steelers side of things: They made big plays when they had to.
— Chris Russell AKA the ????????! (@Russellmania621) November 11, 2024
Say whatever you want about Russell Wilson, but he can still throw darts in tight windows.
I watched every throw on All-22 before today in his two games, and he made even better throws today.
Wilson sealed the win by using a hard count to draw defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton offside on fourth-and-1 at the Washington 49. The Steelers got a first down, winning the game.
“Wilson is looking like the guy who was a star earlier in his career — especially with those 50-50 deep balls he keeps connecting on,” said Howard Fendrich, Associated Press sportswriter.
The Steelers weren’t perfect though, he said, pointing to an interception, a fumble at the 1-yard line, and a botched fake punt.
Those moments were big for the Commanders, Quinn said.
“I love that we were in this kind of fight, these are the kind of ones that you need to build some resilience and some resolve, but we are establishing that kind of toughness and identity that we want to be about,” he said.
