It was a wild and often ugly night for the Pittsburgh Steelers Monday. But a win is a win and the Steelers’ defense propelled the team to a 26-22 victory over the Cleveland Browns, its first win of the year. Pittsburgh’s defense scored the team’s first and last touchdowns with the outside linebackers finding the end zone both times, Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt.
It was Highsmith’s strip-sack fumble of Browns QB Deshaun Watson that was the difference in the game, recovered by Watt and returned for a 16-yard touchdown.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Watt explained the play and how he and Highsmith knew what was coming, aiding them in making the play.
“We both kind of knew it was gonna be play pass,” Watt said via the team’s YouTube channel. “It’ll be a fun play to watch on film. We both got wide. Alex just had a phenomenal rush. I was coming off a chip, so I had a little bit of room to see the play process and I just saw the ball come out and thankfully I didn’t dive on it and I was able to scoop it and score it. And the place went bananas like it did all night. Steelers Nation was absolutely incredible.”
Here’s a look at the play.
Highsmith flew off the edge to beat Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills, turning the corner and knocking the ball out out of Watson’s hand. Watt grabbed it off the bounce and raced into the end zone, giving Pittsburgh a 26-22 lead after Chris Boswell’s extra point. It was just enough scoring to hold onto the lead, the Steelers’ defense making the final stop on fourth down thanks to tight coverage by rookie CB Joey Porter Jr.
Pittsburgh’s defensive splash plays were critical on a night where the offense again struggled. Cleveland turned the ball over four times. Highsmith got things started with a pick-six on the first play from scrimmage while Watt bookended that with his score. LB Cole Holcomb forced a fumble with a high-effort play at the end of a TE David Njoku catch. DT Larry Ogunjobi recovered a fumble on a failed Watson QB sneak in the first half and also had an early sack.
It certainly wasn’t a pretty win but for a team that couldn’t afford to dig a 0-2 hole, it was a huge victory. True to form, Pittsburgh’s defense stepped up even on a night where the Steelers certainly had their issues, too. They were far from flawless. But their stars were stars and their EDGE rushers was the one area where Pittsburgh had a clear advantage. Watt and Highsmith proved it to vault the Steelers to a critical win.
