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Mike Williams Jabs Aaron Rodgers After Being Thrown Under The Bus By His Former QB

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Former teammates Aaron Rodgers and Mike Williams pictured side by side.

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Mike Williams and Aaron Rodgers began the season as teammates on the New York Jets. Midway through the year, the duo has been split.

Williams was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in order to help the offense bolster its receiving corps. In his first appearance with his new squad, he did just that.

Williams hauled in a game-winning touchdown pass on Sunday while facing the Washington Commanders. It was his only reception of the day, but it was a big one!

The touchdown was Williams’ first as a Steeler and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Pittsburgh trailed 27-21 while facing a long third down play late in the fourth quarter. The catch not only helped the offense convert, but it put the team up 28-27 with just two minutes left.

Williams didn’t play a ton, but when his number was called, he didn’t disappoint. The result was surprising for many around the franchise. He’d hardly been with the team long enough to learn the playbook. Now, he was being targeted in the game’s most crucial moment.

The wideout commented on the touchdown pass after the contest. He hadn’t run that particular route while practicing with his new team this week.

“He trusted me to go run the route,” he said of Russell Wilson. “I was out there catching passes and run good routes [in practice], showing them I’m able to do it. I got an opportunity to close out the game… I didn’t run that route one time. We just talked about it on the sidelines.”

Mike Williams says that the route was actually put in for Calvin Austin. When Austin left the game with a head injury, Williams stepped up.

The play call was an interesting one, and it didn’t go unnoticed by the former Jet. After the game, he made sure to jab Aaron Rodgers for throwing him under the bus earlier in the year.

Mike Williams posted #RedLine in an IG caption of his touchdown catch.

Last month, Rodgers called Williams out for running the wrong route on what wound up being a costly interception. Trailing 23-20 in the fourth quarter against the Bills, an underthrown ball was picked off by the Buffalo defense to seal a Jets loss.

After the loss, Rodgers appeared to blame Williams for the turnover.

“There’s two verticals, Allen [Lazard’s] down the seam and Mike’s down the redline… So, I’m throwing a no look to the redline. When I peak my eyes back there, Mike’s running an ‘in-breaker…’ it’s got to be down the redline.”

-Aaron Rodgers

“Redline” is a term used to describe the “red stripe that many NFL teams paint on their practice fields just a few yards away from the sidelines to help receivers with their routes.”

Staying on that redline allows receivers to keep space between themselves and the sidelines to create a window for quarterbacks to throw through.

Rodgers expected Williams to stay on that line to the endzone. The receiver instead broke towards the sidelines. The result was disaster!

Williams stayed on the redline this past Sunday, though, which ended in a celebration of his 32-yard game-winning score. He posted the play on social media after the fact, making sure to highlight that route choice in the caption!

 

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A post shared by Mike Williams (@darealmike_dub)

With the win, the Steelers improved to 7-2 on the season as they sit in first place in the AFC North. The Jets, meanwhile, continue to spiral with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. A blowout loss to the Cardinals on Sunday dropped New York to 3-7 on the year.

Mike Williams seems happy with the outcome of his midseason trade. He’ll look to keep the momentum rolling as the season progresses in hopes of making a playoff run in Pittsburgh.