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The NFL can be a remarkable league sometimes and on Monday we saw why, as the Washington Football Team defeated the 11-0 Pittsburgh Steelers, 23-17, handing them their first loss of the season.
The first quarter brought a scoreless tie between the two teams, before the Steelers went up 14-3 going into halftime. After that, the production stopped for the Steelers' offense and then came Alex Smith and his offense.
Despite the terrible calls by the referees that favored the Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger and his offense had a chance to take it down the field late in the fourth quarter. But both times proved unsuccessful, as the first drive created an interception and the second drive ended the game because tight end Eric Ebron thought he went out of bounds.
Nonetheless, here are 5 takeaways from Monday's game.
5. Steelers must address dropped passes
One of the biggest issues for the Steelers' receiving corps tonight was the number of dropped passes they had against Washington.
They had a total of seven dropped passes, several of them which could have led to big gains and first downs for the team. Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was visibly angry for not catching a pass from Roethlisberger in the beginning of the first quarter.
The Steelers lead the league in most dropped passes this year, with a total of 34 and it certainly cost them tonight.
4. Does Washington have a future star at tight end?
Coming into the off season, the tight end spot was one of the biggest positions for the team to address, as they had released Jordan Reed.
In came Logan Thomas, who was signed in the off season to a two-year contract. Thomas, who was a converted quarterback, had spent time with several teams in the league. But Rivera and his staff believed Thomas had something special within him, and he has certainly proven his value.
Tonight, Thomas had 9 receptions for 98 yards and one touchdown. It was expected for Thomas and other receivers to get some attention, as the secondary was locked on making sure star Terry McLaurin didn't run all over the defense.
3. Washington's defensive stops
Washington's defense had several blown coverages in the game that made it seem like the Steelers could capitalize on. They did allow Roethlisberger to throw for 305 yards and two touchdowns, but that doesn't complete reflect what Washington did on Monday night.
The Steelers are certainly a pass-heavy offense, but Washington completely shut down the running game, allowing a total of just 21 rushing yards total on 14 attempts. As for the secondary, they did allow a good amount of pressure on the receiving side, forcing Big Ben to spread his throws to multiple receivers. Nonetheless, Washington has plenty of work to do on that side of the defense.
2. Montez Sweat does it again
It seems like Sweat simply wants to be known as "Clutch Sweat," as he delivered yet another clutch move to seal the game against the Steelers, just like he did against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Instead of intercepting the ball, Sweat batted the ball and linebacker Jon Bostic was able to catch it for an interception. Had Sweat picked it off, he would likely have a pick-6 and certainly ended the game there.
1. Beginning of a downfall for the Steelers?
Let's be honest, the Steelers were bound to be exposed soon. Considering the teams they have faced so far this year, it is clear that they had not been challenged truly.
The remaining schedule for the Steelers includes the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, and Cleveland Browns. The Steelers could reasonably go 2-2, but considering the playing of these past few games, it could be lower than that.
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