Joe Haden played a lot of football. He picked off a ton of passes. In his 12-year career, he intercepted 29 of them. But there’s no doubt in his mind which is his favorite. You already know the answer. His 2018 leaping interception off New England Patriots’ QB Tom Brady in a Pittsburgh Steelers win over their nemesis.
Joining Cam Heyward on Wednesday’s episode of his Not Just Football podcast, Haden discussed his most memorable Steelers’ moment.
“The game when we beat Tom Brady in Pittsburgh,” Haden told Heyward. “That night game when I had that pick. That was huge for me. Just to be a part of a team. I know Tom Brady, the Steelers, how much they don’t like him. Being able to be the one to get the pick for us to win that game was huge. I’ll never forget that one…I love that one, bro. That’s my favorite pick of all-time. I’ll always remember that play.”
And of course, we have to show it. Mid-fourth quarter, the Patriots driving inside the Steelers’ red zone, Pittsburgh clinging to a 14-10 lead. Pressured by Heyward – who else – Brady throws a duck towards the right sideline. Haden jumped as high as he could, made the catch, and took shots from WR Julian Edelman and big TE Rob Gronkowski on the way down, getting both feet inbounds and holding onto the football. An incredible catch.
The interception prevented the Patriots from taking the lead. Pittsburgh chewed up clock the other way, taking up five minutes before tacking on a Chris Boswell field goal that extended the Steelers’ lead to seven. Haden and company stood tall one more time, Brady throwing incomplete on fourth down just outside the red zone, and Pittsburgh secured victory. Of the Ben Roethlisberger era, it was just the fourth and final victory over the Patriots.
The play alone was unbelievable enough. To make that play at home in front of a screaming Steeler Nation, against a team that owned the Steelers the way the Patriots had, it made things all the more special. Heyward still isn’t sure how Haden came down with it.
“Dude, that pick is insane,” he said. “I’ve seen that pick so many times, but the athleticism you had to show by catching it over Edelman and then getting your feet back down and avoiding [Gronk]…that was like a [Michael Jordan] pick.”
The Steelers used that victory to keep their playoff hopes alive, though they lost the following week against New Orleans after a pair of highly questionable penalties against Haden.
Haden went on to intercept 10 passes in his Steelers career, including five in a Pro Bowl 2019 season. But none had the pageantry of picking off Brady and what it meant to that game, that team, and that city.
Check out the whole conversation between Heyward and Haden below. It’s a great talk between two former teammates who remain good friends.
