Following each game in the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers season, I will highlight the event, or string of events, in the game that was the turning point. Not all turning points will be earth-shattering but are meant to give a unique look at how we arrived at the outcome of the game, one that may be hard to see during the live watch.
Mike Tomlin made one thing very clear with both his words and actions leading up to the Indianapolis Colts game. He wanted an early lead against the league’s top offense. The Colts hadn’t spent much time trailing all season, which kept their offense wide open and potent. If the Steelers were to engineer victory, as Tomlin puts it, then they needed to make the Colts play from an unfamiliar posture.
That’s why they opted to receive the opening kickoff, and why their first play was a deep shot to Jonnu Smith. And it nearly worked, but that opening pass slipped right through Smith’s hands. A three and out and a subsequent 13-play Colts touchdown drive firmly put the Steelers behind the eight-ball, exactly the opposite how they wanted the game to begin.
T.J. Watt may have sparked the shifting tides, but Payton Wilson ensured the Steelers got back on track for their intended game plan. His big play in the second-quarter play led to their first lead — a lead they never lost.
He read the quarterback’s eyes and cut back inside to undercut the route. It wasn’t some heroic play or even an overly athletic feat, but that’s not what the defense needed.
Players trying to do too much and not sticking to their assignment has been a theme throughout the losing streak. Here, Wilson got to his landmark, read Daniel Jones’ eyes, and made the play. It really was that simple.
That interception wasn’t just a one-off. It was the culmination of the growth he’s shown all season.
Entering the year, Wilson was supposed to be the every-down player next to Patrick Queen. The Steelers quickly dialed back his role after a tough start to the season. But with Cole Holcomb out with an illness, they needed him to play 66 snaps against the Colts, and he rewarded them for it.
It was the best game of Wilson’s career. He had 14 total tackles, two passes defensed, and an interception. His other pass defensed was a deflection that fell right into the hands of Jack Sawyer for another interception.
Wilson may not have been ready for an every-down role at the beginning of the season, but he’s grown into it. There’s a reason why the Steelers made him a captain on special teams after Miles Killebrew got injured, or why they never use dime defense in favor of keeping Wilson on the field in nickel.
Wilson has finally become the playmaker the team envisioned.
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