The Washington Football Team is again in the middle of the NFL postponing games.
However, the shoe is on the other foot this time in 2021.
You recall in 2020, it was the Baltimore Ravens experiencing an outbreak of players testing positive for the COVID-19 virus.
As a result, the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, who were originally scheduled to face each other on November 26 in a Thanksgiving Night Game, had their game postponed by the NFL to Sunday, November 29.
As the number of positive tests grew, the NFL intervened a second time, pushing the AFC divisional rival contest back two more days to Tuesday, December 1.
Enter Washington.
Washington was already scheduled to face Pittsburgh the following Sunday, December 6. The Steelers-Ravens game not being played until Tuesday, the NFL moved back the WFT at Pittsburgh game one day to Monday, December 7, with a 5 p.m. kickoff.
Pittsburgh (11-0) jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but Dustin Hopkins’ 49-yard field goal with one second remaining in the half put the WFT (4-7) on the scoreboard.
Washington appeared to have gained momentum, taking the second-half kickoff and driving 82 yards in nearly seven minutes, as Peyton Barber’s one-yard run narrowed the WFT deficit to 14-10.
Trailing 17-10 early in the final quarter, Alex Smith completed four passes in a 53-yard drive, the last a 15-yard touchdown to Logan Thomas, tying the game 17-17.
On fourth & 1 from the WFT 28, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger’s pass for Anthony McFarland fell incomplete, returning the ball to Washington.
Smith found Cam Sims down the right sideline for 29 yards, leading to Dustin Hopkins’ 45-yard field goal and a WFT 20-17 lead with 2:04 remaining.
On the next play from scrimmage, Roethlisberger’s pass was intercepted by WFT LB Jon Bostic at the Pittsburgh 25. Running down the clock to only 21 seconds remaining, Hopkins from 45 yards extended the Washington lead to the final margin of 23-17.