Mike Williams played just nine snaps in his Pittsburgh Steelers debut, but that was all he needed to make a difference. With the Steelers facing 3rd and long, they sent him down the red line and Russell Wilson hit him in the end zone. Although he didn’t experience much difficulty, he made the appropriate adjustments and scored the game-clinching touchdown.
Appeared on the DVE Morning Show TuesdayFormer Steelers QB Charlie Batch praised Williams’ performance amid the tumult. The Steelers acquired Mike Williams from the New York Jets ahead of the trade deadline. As we’ve seen around the NFL over the past two weeks, there’s no guarantee that even big-name players can make an immediate impact.
“Because it’s difficult [Mike Williams] I didn’t know how many plays he would make during the game. “If you watched him in practice last week, it was a crash course.” Batch spoke about the receiver’s first few days with the Steelers.
“He’s trying to figure things out, he knows where to line up, and then there’s Russell. [Wilson] When we adjusted the line of scrimmage, he asked, ‘What did you mean?’ The pace was very slow during the week as expected. But once you get into the game, you’re in the biggest moment when you have to line up one-on-one outside.”
Williams had played only eight snaps to that point. He only played on certain snaps because Calvin Austin III had a big hit a few plays ago. He even said he’d never run that route before with the Steelers. He watched Austin do it. But Russell Wilson gave him another quick crash course on the play before the snap and was torn.
“Russell didn’t hesitate to give him a chance down the field and that’s what brought him here,” Batch said of Williams. “And when he makes a play, everyone pays attention to that play. It will free up other people, primarily George Pickens, in one-on-one situations.”
The Steelers gave up a fifth-round pick for eight-year veteran Mike Williams. Known for his deep balls and contested catches, he provides the offense with the dimension it lacks to complement George Pickens. Mike Tomlin said he expects Williams’ workload to increase despite only playing nine snaps last week.
We’ll have to see what it ultimately looks like when they flesh it all out. Williams is still here, hopping on a moving train, and we’re well past the station. The Steelers already have nine games in hand, with eight remaining. It’s mid-November and he’s just learning their offense.
But Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, Ben Skowronek, and even Austin aren’t all that big of a threat. Austin plays well, especially vertically, but can be limited by his size at times.
The Steelers can’t have that worry about 6-foot-4 Mike Williams, who has relished in situations that emphasize his size. On this particular play, it was more important to beat his man one-on-one, which he did expertly. But the Steelers know there will come a time when they need exactly his skills, and now they’ll have him. Whether he plays or not will determine whether they used their fifth-round pick wisely.
