With the Pittsburgh Steelers losing T.J. Watt and his 19 sacks for at least their Wild Card round playoff matchup against the Buffalo Bills, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have to find a way to generate pressure on the quarterback. It’s especially going to be key against Josh Allen, who is one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the league but can be prone to mistakes.
One answer could be OLB Alex Highsmith, who finished the year with seven sacks and 50 hurries, along with 12 QB hits. Bucky Brooks of NFL Media named Highsmith Pittsburgh’s X-Factor ahead of the postseason.
“With T.J. Watt ruled out this week, Pittsburgh needs Highsmith to transition from Robin to Batman. The former third-round pick has posted 27.5 sacks over the past three seasons as a complementary pass rusher, but now he must flourish in the lead role. As Mike Tomlin concocts a plan to mitigate the loss of a three-time NFL sacks leader — Watt racked up a league-high 19 QB takedowns this season — Highsmith will play a pivotal role in the team’s defensive tactics,” Brooks writes.
While Highsmith’s numbers aren’t as gaudy as they were during his 14.5 sack season last year, he actually has 15 more hurries than he did all of last season. He’s been able to get after the quarterback effectively, even if he isn’t bringing them down at the rate he was last season. It’s going to be imperative for Highsmith to continue playing as well as he has during the season. If he keeps getting after the quarterback, either the sacks will come, or he can force Allen or whoever the Steelers face into some poor throws.
The Steelers also have a solid duo of backups at outside linebacker, as Nick Herbig and Markus Golden are capable of getting it done. That won’t leave all the pressure on Highsmith. If teams want to put extra attention on Highsmith with more blockers, they’re going to have less help to block Golden or Herbig.
Losing Watt is a big deal, and there’s no way for Pittsburgh to replicate what he was able to do on the field. His loss is going to be felt, but it can be felt a little bit less if Highsmith can rise to the occasion and make some plays for a Steelers team that’s going to need his best on Sunday. There’s no doubt that a good game by him can help the Steelers move into the divisional round. If he struggles, Pittsburgh’s season could come to a close on Sunday. Given how well he’s played this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him step up to the challenge.
