Steelers No Longer Unbeaten, Lose to Washington and Standings Get Crazy

The Washington, ahem, Football Team pulled off an improbable football feat Monday night in Pittsburgh. Washington knocked off the previously unbeaten Steelers, 23-17. It was more than a win of a David versus Goliath. It shakes up the standings in both conferences with just four weeks remaining in regular season.

And Washington did it on hobbled legs.

The Washington Football Team improved to 5-7 on the season and a tie in the NFC East with the New York Giants. The Steelers are now tied for the No. 1 seed with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC, who are 11-1 along with the Steelers. If the season ended today, the Steelers would have the top spot based on their record in conference play, in which they are undefeated. The Chiefs lost to the Raiders earlier this season before avenging that loss.

The Steelers could have wrapped up the first playoff spot in the AFC on Monday with a win, but that instead went to the Chiefs. The New Orleans Saints secured the NFC's first playoff spot on Sunday with their 21-16 win over NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons.

After a scoreless first quarter Monday, the Steelers jumped out to a 14-0 lead after a pair of Ben Roethlisberger touchdown passes. The first went for 3 yards to Diontae Johnson, and the second to James Washington for 50 yards.

Washington got on the board with a Dustin Hopkins 49-yard field goal at the end of the first half. Washington's Peyton Barber dashed in for a 1-yard run midway through the third quarter to cut Pittsburgh's lead to 14-10, setting up the fantastic finish.

Pittsburgh booted a field goal to start the fourth quarter, setting up a Washington comeback

Washington quarterback Alex Smith, who injured his left leg in bloody fashion earlier in the game, returned and connected with Logan Thomas on a 15-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 17-17.

Washington got the ball back and kicked two more Hopkins 45-yard field goals to give Washington a 23-17 win.

Washington beat Pittsburgh for the first time since the 1991 season, according to FOX, which aired the game to about 40 percent of the country early on Monday. The Washington Football Team next travels to Arizona to play the San Francisco 49ers, who are playing home games in Glendale because of COVID issues in their California home county (Santa Clara).

Pittsburgh next travels to play the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.

Alex Smith, quarterback of the Washington Football Team, suffered a bloody leg injury during the first half Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The injury occured on his good leg.

Smith, who broke both the tibia and fibula in his right leg a little more than two years ago, faced 17 surgeries to repair that leg and the possibility of never again playing football. He returned to the starting lineup last month, and now has his Washington team competing for an NFC East title.

Smith appeared to be ok throughout the remainder of the game.