With an 11-0 record heading to a Week 13 matchup against the Washington Football Team, the Pittsburgh Steelers were expected to cruise. However, Washington shocked everyone and managed to pull off an improbable 23-17 upset against the best team in the league led by quarterback Alex Smith.

The veteran spoke on Washington's most recent tilt, and knows that the win serves as a huge confidence booster for his young teammates. This could potentially play a pivotal role in their continuous improvement moving forward:

“We’re so young that you have to have wins like this to learn from them and know you can do it,” Smith said, per Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk. “You don’t get that confidence without having done it. So for us, I think a big win that we’ll take with us, knowing we can go on the road and play with anybody.”

“This was a big test,” he said. “Could we come on the road, with an undefeated football team in their place, and get a win like this? I’m really happy for our guys.”

Smith made an even stronger case for his candidacy for NFL Comeback Player of the Year by leading Washington with 296 passing yards on 31-of-46 passing and a touchdown despite sustaining a bleeding leg in the first half.

Washington tight end Logan Thomas also contributed to the victory with a career-best performance bannered by his 98 receiving yards on nine receptions and a touchdown scored.

The triumph lifted Washington to a 5-7 record and a tie with the division-leading New York Giants, who are still in the top spot due to tiebreaker rules.

After the high-spirited win, Alex Smith hopes to continue to lead his team to strong performances to close out the remaining games of the season as part of a playoff push. Washington's three-game winning streak will be on the line as they face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 14 proceedings.