The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has been a standout unit through three games, allowing just two total touchdowns and being one of the catalysts behind the team’s 3-0 start. Today, one of the standouts was OLB Nick Herbig, who replaced Alex Highsmith after he exited with a groin injury and had two second-half sacks. Elandon Roberts and Herbig said the defense is like a family and that its players can “feed off each other.”
“Not just Herbig, but anyone on our defense, that’s how we kind of build not a next-man-up mentality, but when you get in, it’s a certain standard. We expect you to play it,” Roberts said via Chris Adamski of TribLive.
Herbig certainly lived up to that standard today. His two sacks were huge as the Steelers overcame a halftime deficit and scored 13 unanswered points to beat the Chargers.
Roberts said that when Highsmith came out of the locker room, he was getting excited for Herbig, and that the guys just want to see their “brothers” on defense succeed.
“Even when Alex came back out, Alex was all pumped up right there with him. That’s the kind of defense. It’s family-oriented, we only want to see our brothers thrive,” Roberts said.
Herbig called Watt the best edge rusher in the world and said the two of them feed off each other.
“We play off each other man, we feed off that energy,” Herbig said via Aaron Becker of Yardbarker. “We have a tight-knit group, we play off each other.”
Herbig came in and made an instant impact, and while the hope is that Highsmith’s injury isn’t serious and he can return soon, it’s cool that he was out there supporting Herbig and getting excited for him. Roberts said it’s the same way with him and rookie linebacker Payton Wilson, whom he called his “little brother.” and It’s a nice dynamic in Pittsburgh’s defense with the veterans taking some of the younger guys under their wing and bringing camaraderie to the unit. Watt also praised Herbig for the way he played after the game.
It’s one of the best defenses in football, and it’s a group that should be getting pumped up and excited about its level of play, not just on an individual level, but on a team level as well. Today, the Steelers shut down a potent Chargers rushing attack to the tune of 3.1 yards per carry and also sacked Chargers quarterbacks five times. They’re playing some really good football right now, and it’s a group that should be proud of each other and supporting one another. That’s exactly what’s happening.
