Watch: Steelers’ Tre Norwood makes perfect read to shut-down Seahawks’ Swain
Steel City Underground will pick an exceptional play of the game as a highlight each week of the Steelers 2021 regular season. Stay tuned as we hand-select the very best from the Black and Gold!
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has had to ask some of their young players to get off to a quick start in the backfield this season. At times, individuals have been caught out of position or miscommunicated with their teammates to give up a play here and there. One player, though, has impressively improved at a steady rate and made a couple of big plays to help keep the Seattle Seahawks from being able to beat the Steelers last Sunday night during regulation and forced the game into overtime.
With the game tied at 17-17, Ben Roethlisberger attempted to lead a drive late in the fourth quarter that could have given the Steelers the regulation time win. Unfortunately, Roethlisberger, typically sure-handed with his pump fakes, tried to get the Seattle defense rattled in order to give Diontae Johnson a step to get open. Even though it appeared that Roethlisberger, when he lost the ball, had thrown what would be considered a forward pass, the review showed a motion that indicated he was pulling the ball back towards his body when he lost the ball and the Seahawks recovered it as a fumble.
The Pittsburgh defense was called back onto the field and rookie cornerback Tre Norwood stepped up to make a nice pass breakup to force the Seahawks to punt the ball.
On third-and-ten, Seattle quarterback Geno Smith attempted to set up the screen to the left side of the field. Norwood, who sniffed out the play, eluded the initial block and stuffed receiver Freddie Swain for a loss of downs.
It wasn’t anything fancy, but the heads-up play was added to two other excellent plays by Norwood during the game. On top of the stop against Swain, Norwood also had a beautiful pass-breakup and three solo tackles on the night to set himself apart as an evolving playmaker.
