The Pittsburgh Steelers’ outside linebacker duo of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith has been quite impactful through the first five games of the season.
Watt already has an AFC Defensive Player of the Month award for September to his credit and has 8.0 sacks on the season to go along with 27 pressures, two fumble recoveries and a touchdown. Highsmith has two sacks, two forced fumbles, a pick-6 and an AFC Defensive Player of the Week award on his resume this season.
Together, the two of completely changed games for the Black and Gold, helping them win the last two home games at Acrisure Stadium against the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens.
Their dominance together has former three-time Defensive Player of the Year defensive end J.J. Watt wondering just where the Steelers would be without the two changing games off the edge.
“Think about this team and the Steelers where they are right now. Obviously, we know the offensive struggles. Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt, if they don’t have those two, what does that record look like this year?” Watt said on The Pat McAfee Show Wednesday, according to video via McAfee’s Twitter handle. “It is a completely different team and these two are at the forefront of it. It’s a lot of fun to watch as a former EDGE rusher myself, and as an older brother.”
Combined, the two are giving fits to opposing offenses.
Though Highsmith has just two sacks on the season, he has 30 total pressures with 11 of them coming in the Week Five over the Baltimore Ravens. His two forced fumbles have been timely, too, coming in the fourth quarter against the Browns and Ravens, leading to Watt’s fumble return for touchdown to beat the Browns and then sealing the win against the Ravens on Sunday.
Without the two making game-changing plays week after week, it’s hard to tell exactly where the Steelers would be. Would they be 0-5 on the season? 1-4? Who knows.
The good news is that the Steelers have the duo locked up long-term, Highsmith having signed a four-year, $68 million extension in the summer and Watt, one of the highest-paid defenders in football, signing an extension just a few seasons ago.
It’s certainly a fair thing to wonder from Watt, who knows a thing or two about rushing the passer. But the Steelers have the two, and they are quite fortunate to have that pairing.
We’ll see just how dominant the two can be moving forward. Chances are, they’ll continue to change outcomes of games on their own, leading the Steelers to some key wins down the stretch.
