Steelers TE Rodney Williams delivered 'most critical block' on Calvin Austin's punt return TD

When Rodney Williams saw that Calvin Austin III had only one man to beat to get to the sideline, he used his left shoulder to nudge New York Giants long snapper Casey Kreiter and clear some space.

Then Williams threw both hands up in the air in what was an attempt to make it clear to officials that it was a clean play but easily could have been mistaken for someone signaling a touchdown.

“I wanted to make sure I set the edge for him,” Williams said. “I didn’t want to hit him in the back and have him flop and stuff and you get a penalty. So I just tried to make sure I got the job done.”

Williams got the job done with a chip block that helped spring Austin for a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 26-18 win on “Monday Night Football” at Acrisure Stadium, the first by the Steelers since Diontae Johnson’s 85-yarder at Arizona on Dec. 8, 2019.

“It’s easy to get him going but to get him all the way there is a group effort,” Steelers tight end Connor Heyward said of Austin. “Rodney’s block was the most critical block of them all to seal Calvin up the sideline. That is something we’ve been trying to get. It’s always that last block.”

CALVIN AUSTIN TO THE HOUSE ‼️ @CalvinAustinIII

???? Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/COxKRnr6Mc pic.twitter.com/MEAdfcquMc

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 29, 2024

Heyward rattled off a list of games in which the Steelers had come close to breaking a big return last season, citing Indianapolis, Baltimore and Buffalo in the AFC playoffs. Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. also believed they were close to turning a return into a touchdown.

“We always felt like Calvin was one block away from taking it home, so it was always about getting that last block or holding a block a little bit longer,” Porter Jr. said. “That play happened, and all things aligned and he took it to the house. It was just a great play from start to finish.”

Steelers special teams coach Danny Smith, however, gets irritated by such talk. He knows that the devil is in the details and constantly emphasizes the importance of every player doing his job on returns in practice and meetings.

“We’ve been close but this whole league’s close, to be honest with you,” Smith said. “We’ve been talking about it for a long time. It should’ve happened sooner. We’ve been working hard at it. I don’t live by that closeness. Everything’s close in the NFL. I hate when people say, ‘You’re close.’ Everybody’s close. It was good to see. (Austin is) a good player and he’s really developed as a returner. I’m happy for him and happy for the players. They did a good job on that play.”

For Williams, it served as a rare play for which he received recognition for his grunt work. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder is the Steelers’ No. 5 tight end but has only two targets and no receptions in his two NFL seasons. He plays primarily on special teams, recording six tackles (five solo) in 13 games last season and one in six games this year.

Williams shrugged about the block as a result of special teams drills in practice. This time, he simply completed his assignment.

“It’s something we work on, just getting to that spot and executing so we don’t get a penalty,” Williams said. “So, when the time came, we were prepared for it, I was prepared for it and made the play.”

The 26-year-old Williams, an undrafted free agent who converted from wide receiver to tight end and became an FCS All-American at Tennessee-Martin, put the play on tape not just for himself but for the Steelers. Smith took delight in knowing that every opponent has to worry now about their punt returns as much as their ability to block kicks. And it naturally reinforces the importance of blocking to special teamers.

“Success breeds that. It does that itself,” Smith said. “When you’ve got a unit that’s blocking kicks and returning punts, you’re different. You’re just really different.”

Williams realizes something as small as his chip block really made a big difference for the Steelers on Austin’s punt return for a touchdown.

“It’s great, especially for a guy like Calvin that comes here and works hard every day and deserves to get in the end zone,” Williams said. “It makes it easier to go out there and block hard for him because you want to see him have success.”