Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick Almost Quit Right Before He Made One Of His Biggest Plays Ever

Back in the 2022 season opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers had an insane game against the Cincinnati Bengals. After an electric first half, the whole team struggled to make anything happen. The Bengals came back from a 17-6 deficit to tie the game, but the extra point was blocked. The Steelers would go on to win in the last seconds of overtime, but that almost didn't happen. In a game full of insane twists and turns, the Steelers almost let one of them go without a problem. 

Minkah Fitzpatrick made an appearance on the NFL's YouTube channel to discuss some of the top plays in his career, along with some other stars in the league. As opposed to breaking down everything that made the extra point block possible, he made a confession about a mistake that would've cost the Steelers the game if he went through with it. 

"[The Bengals] came back, they drove the ball down the field, tied it up with three seconds left, and this was to win the game... it's crazy, I remember saying to myself, I was angry, and I was frustrated. We lost on a play that [Ja'Marr Chase] shouldn't have caught the ball, so I was frustrated, and I was like 'Man, I ain't even gonna rush. It ain't even worth it,' but then I was like, 'Nah, I'm gonna lock in. Lemme try and go for it.' They opened up the gap real wide for me. The wing didn't put any type of hand on me or nothing like that."

If Fitzpatrick had listened to his intrusive thoughts, the Steelers would have lost in embarrassing fashion to the Bengals. Instead, he did what he was supposed to do and ended up with the play to keep the Steelers alive in the game. He had every right to be angry and frustrated, but he wouldn't let himself give up on the play, and he reaped the rewards for it. 

How Did The Steelers Get The Chance To Block The Kick?

Even with the wing blocker letting Fitzpatrick through, that kick would not have been blocked under normal circumstances. Clark Harris, the Bengals' long snapper, had gotten injured earlier in the game. They were forced to rely on a third-string tight end to snap the ball. The snap was slower than normal, as Ian Eagle noted on the broadcast. The unusually slow snap allowed Fitzpatrick to block the kick just enough to make it fall short. 

In fact, Cincinnati's long snapper issues continued into overtime, which also helped the Steelers to win. A high snap ruined the timing for Evan McPherson, causing him to shank the game-winning field goal, then Zac Taylor blamed the replacement snapper, as well as a miscommunication with the officials, for a clock management mistake. That gave the Steelers just enough time to march down the field and avoid a tie. 

Steelers Needed Fitzpatrick Throughout The Game

Fitzpatrick was a key part of the Steelers' win from start to finish. He also returned an interception for a touchdown on the Bengals' first drive of the game. He also broke that play down, describing how the defense tricked Joe Burrow into thinking he had an easy completion. Without that play, the Steelers likely lose, even with the blocked kick. 

With everything that happened starting at halftime, from the defense giving up endless yards, to the offense malfunctioning, to TJ Watt tearing a muscle, there is no question why Fitzpatrick was angry and ready to just let the game end. However, the true stars can dig deep and make plays happen when the team is at their lowest, and Fitzpatrick did, taking advantage of a terrible situation on the Bengals' end.