Mike Williams’ time with the New York Jets was over faster than a Kardashian marriage, leading to his departure at the trade deadline. The Pittsburgh Steelers welcomed the receiver with open arms and the early returns on this partnership are promising.
In his debut, Williams only managed to snag a catch on his only target for 32 yards. As the saying goes, however, ‘every little bit helps.’
That’s exactly what Williams was able to do with that one catch, which ended with him in the end zone and the Steelers taking the lead on the scoreboard. Thanks to the newcomer, Pittsburgh escaped Washington with another win, moving to 7-2 on the season and in possession of first place in the AFC North.
In the aftermath of the Week 10 victory, Williams took the chance to poke some fun at his former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, on social media.
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Mike Williams Instagram post
Williams only played nine snaps in his Steelers debut, according to PFF. He made the most of them, scoring the game-winning touchdown on his only catch. On Monday, Williams took the chance to throw some shade at Rodgers on Instagram after the quarterback seemingly threw him under the bus for running the wrong route in Week 6.
“Thankful #WholeLotta #WeBack #RedLine,” Williams captioned the Instagram post, following his Week 10 triumph.
It was clear early on that Williams and Rodgers weren’t on the same page. New York was insistent on easing the receiver back into game action following a torn ACL, which kept him from developing any chemistry with the quarterback. He was forced to take a back seat to Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard while the Jets attempted to figure out an identity, something they still haven’t been able to do through 10 weeks.
However, Williams’ problem with Rodgers began to go beyond chemistry. He was the subject of criticism from the quarterback, who essentially blamed the receiver for a game-ending interception against the Bills.
“There’s two verticals, Allen [Lazard]’s down the seam, and Mike’s [Williams] down the red line,” Rodgers said after the game. “So, I’m throwing a no-look to the red line. When I peak my eyes back there Mike’s running an ‘in-breaker,’ so it’s got to be down the red line.”
The team then swung a deal for Davante Adams, making Williams the clear odd man out. He was eventually shipped to Pittsburgh on trade deadline day for a 2025 fifth round pick.
What is the ‘red line’ in the NFL?
The ‘red line’ is a tool used by NFL teams in practice to help teach receivers how to run a vertical route. Often times, players can find themselves drifting toward the sideline or the middle of the field. The end result is a difficult throw for the quarterback or a cluttered middle of the field. The purpose is to keep those players on track, which was Rodgers’ primary complaint about Williams on the interception.
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