Halicke: Williams 'got an opportunity to close the game and did that'

LANDOVER, Md. -- It wasn't what fans were hoping for, but trading for Mike Williams before this past week's deadline wound up being the impact move to upgrade the receiver room.

It sure didn't take all that long for Williams to make said impact. And, it couldn't have been felt more in the Steelers' 28-27 victory over the Commanders Sunday afternoon at Northwest Field.

Trailing 27-21 with less than three minutes remaining, the Steelers faced third-and-9, 32 yards away from the end zone. Russell Wilson had dealt with pressure throughout the game, and he dealt with pressure yet again. Wilson threw one off his back foot in Williams' direction and ... well, the newest Steelers made the play they've needed anyone else except George Pickens to make:

First off, just appreciate that route by Williams. He was given cushion off the line of scrimmage by Benjamin St-Juste, but still found a way to blow by him and get separation. (That ACL looks fine to me).

"Yeah, it's one of Russ' great parts of what he can do," Washington coach Dan Quinn said after the game. "Really good throw and catch, and if you have to battle and compete to go, that's ball. So just another example of fighting to fight through a good pass and catch. You gotta turn back into it, but nothing that was unusual about the call or any of that."

"Russ just told me to go over there, run the route and he put the ball up for me," Williams said after the game.

Yep, Wilson put the ball out far enough for Williams to run underneath. He had done that a few times with other guys, but connecting on any of them was something that was missing throughout the game.

Pickens was a factor. He typically is, and that wasn't any different today when he made a few different spectacular plays, including this highlight reel grab to open the scoring:

Wilson tried multiple times to hit either Van Jefferson or Calvin Austin III with throws downfield. But every single time, both receivers had a really difficult time tracking the ball. It's certainly not an easy thing to do. But, the throws to Jefferson or Austin stood as good of a chance of being completed if Wilson spiked it or tried to throw the ball out of the stadium and land it in the Potomac. They were D.O.A.

It's hard to play offense when only one receiver can make an impact. It's even harder to play offense when you can't run the ball, which the Steelers did not do well (3.3 yards per carry). Defenses can zone in on the big-time playmaker and make other guys beat them. That's what Washington did. And that's why Pickens' five catches for 91 yards on seven targets seemed so few and far between.

When meeting with reporters after the game, Williams knew the little bit of work he was able to get this week was enough to make a play, if needed:

"I think it shows that this week of prep, I was out there catching good, running some good routes, just showing what I'm able to do," Williams said. "I got an opportunity to close the game and did that."

No disrespect to Quinn, but Williams also confirmed after the game he hadn't ran that route for that play all week long. That had belonged to Austin, who was on the sideline after taking a big hit after a catch earlier in the drive.

I know it seems simple to just say, "Hey, Mike. Go run a go route on this play." That's not how NFL plays work. There's so much more detail than that. Plays aren't drawn in the dirt the way kids do in back yards across the country. So, yeah, it was a bit unusual.

It's a big deal that Williams was able to make this play, to step in a role he initially didn't prepare for and to stay patient while he played limited snaps prior to that play.

"Just running on the sideline, talking back and forth with Coach (Zach Azzanni), seeing what's up in the offense," Williams said regarding how he stayed ready while other receivers played the bulk of snaps. "Just talking to everybody and bringing a good energy."

Staying engaged and doing so with a positive energy isn't easy, especially since Williams is coming from a tough situation in New York. That's a huge deal. But, perhaps not as big of a deal as this offense having another guy who can make plays on offense. After all, if he can do this with minimal preparation and limited snaps, imagine what he might be able to do once he knows the whole playbook.

"For me, I just wanted to go out there and just be myself. That's the main thing," Williams said. "Don't overdo things. Don't go out there and press, press, press. When the ball comes my way, make a play. It came to me one time, and it was one of the biggest plays in the game."