Steelers' Darnell Washington Makes History After Brutal Run Against Bengals: 'You Have Infamy'
The Pittsburgh Steelers are no stranger to Kyle Brandt's Angry Run award, but it usually goes to a running back, typically Jaylen Warren , or previously, when he was on the roster, Najee Harris. In Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals, someone made history, and it was not a running back. It was the 6'7", probably 300-pound tight end, Darnell Washington.
During the game, Washington delivered a 31-yard catch and run and bulldozed through the Bengals’ defense. He was a one-man wrecking crew as he overpowered any defender brave enough to try and tackle him. His domination quickly became the talk of the game and left fans in awe of his size, strength, and determination.
For the first time ever, Brandt did not have any other finalists for the award. Washington was finalist 1, 2, and 3. His historic performance against the Bengals will live on in football fans’ memories forever, a moment that changed the way people view the Angry Run award. For Steeler Nation, the 2025 season has finally been the year of Washington.
"That is Darnell doing Darnell things, way too big of a dude to be running like that," Brandt said. "So I have got Darnell Washington from the Steelers and there it is again. That is the third finalist as Darnell Washington runs over a dude... This was the Godfather trilogy of runs, except he stuck the landing on part three."
Not only was it crazy that a tight end was being nominated for the award, he completely stole any running back's chance of even being considered for the Angry Run award.
That just shows how dominant Washington’s run truly was on Sunday. Every defender in his path was left in awe. His performance will be remembered as one of the most unstoppable plays of the 2025 season.
"A play of three acts," Brandt said. "A play of violence, a tragedy, but also a comedy at the same time. This thing's going to the Steel City. Darnell Washington, you have made history. You have infamy, and you have the scepter. It's going back to where it belongs after an all-time Angry Run. New York, an all-time Angry Run. Boom. See you next week."
Steelers fans have been waiting to see this kind of performance from Washington ever since he was drafted 93rd overall by Pittsburgh in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Steelers' Darnell Washington Is Tight End 1
Coming out of Georgia, he was known as an elite blocking tight end, but Sunday showed the full extent of his rare combination of speed, size, and sheer strength. When used properly, Washington can be one of the most unique and dominant tight ends in the league.
His historic run against the Bengals was a glimpse of his true potential and a reminder of why Steelers fans are so excited about his future. It seems that Washington has now clearly passed tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith to become the current number one tight end for the Steelers. The Steelers have three elite tight ends on their roster. Now it's up to Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith to continue to find out how to use them properly.
Steelers fans, when you saw Darnell Washington bulldozing through Bengals defenders and making those jaw-dropping plays, what was going through your mind in that moment? How did it feel to see him dominate like that on the field?
Cowboys Cut Ties With Former 17-Game Starter
The Dallas Cowboys are continuing to shake up their defense in whatever ways they possibly can — trades, bringing back players from injuries or, now, even cutting lose former starters.
The Cowboys parted ways with former 17-game starter and inside linebacker Damone Clark on Tuesday, November 18, just one day after a 33-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football in which the defense looked competent for the first time this season, and with Clark out of the lineup.
Clark was one of 3 players released by the Cowboys on November 18 along with center Wesley French and tight end John Stephens.
Clark was in his fifth season with the Cowboys, who drafted him in the fifth round (No. 176 overall) out of LSU in the 2022 NFL draft. He started 26 games in his time in Dallas, including all 17 regular-season games in 2023, when he had a career high 109 tackles.
Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer sent Clark away with an encouraging message, which was probably cold comfort for the 25-year-old free agent.
“I told him your career is just getting started,” Schottenheimer told Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News. “Sometimes change is good. I really believe that. It’s not bull (expletive) … he means a lot to me and this gives Damone a chance to find a new home.”
LB Additions Market Corrected Clark
The Cowboys had the 31st ranked defense in the NFL headed into Week 11 and you could make an argument that no position group on the entire roster was worse than inside linebacker.
All of that changed over the last few weeks, which ultimately led to Clark getting his walking papers.
First, the Cowboys traded a 2026 seventh round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for inside linebacker Logan Wilson.
“A deal for Dallas: Cowboys are finalizing a trade to acquire Bengals MLB Logan Wilson, sources tell me and Todd Archer,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on November 4. “Earlier Monday, Jerry Jones told Stephen A. Smith that the Cowboys have made a trade ahead of Tuesday’s NFL deadline. It is expected to be for Wilson, for whom the Bengals have been seeking a sixth-round pick. Wilson signed four-year $36 million extension in July 2023 that still has two years remaining on it after this season.”
Then, the Cowboys brought heralded inside linebacker DeMarvion Overshown off of injured reserve ahead of schedule. Overshown, who missed his entire rookie season in 2023 with a torn ACL, had a breakout season in 2024 before tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL in Week 14 against the Bengals.
Overshown wasn’t expected back until a Thanksgiving Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Instead he was on the field for the win over the Raiders, making 1 TFL loss in a limited amount of snaps.
With Kenneth Murray Jr., rookie Shemar James and Marist Liufau essentially a 3-headed inside linebacker at the third spot along Overshown and Wilson, the Cowboys now, suddenly, seem like they’re on solid ground.
Moving forward, don’t be surprised to see James take Murray’s spot as the starter alongside Wilson and Overshown.
