Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Pittsburgh Steelers LB T.J. Watt made a game-changing play again. On Monday night, the Steelers faced off against the New York Giants. It was a game that felt like a dominant Steelers win, but the Giants put the pressure on late. After QB Russell Wilson fumbled, the Giants drove just inside the Steelers’ 20-yard line.
The Steelers only led by eight at that point. If the Giants found the end zone, they could tie it up on a two-point conversion with under three minutes to go.
Instead, Watt happened. With the Giants facing fourth and seven, Watt flew by RT Jermaine Eluemunor and sacked QB Daniel Jones. Not only did he sack Jones, but he forced a fumble and recovered it. The Steelers were able to close the win out 28-16. It’s just another game-changing play by Watt that’s become almost an expectation to former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, much like another Steelers pass rusher.
“He reminds me of James Harrison when James was doing his thing at the highest of levels,” said Roethlisberger on Tuesday’s episode of Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger. “It’s every single time I’d stay on the sideline and watch James Harrison, and I watch T.J. Watt on third down. As an offensive person on the sideline on third down, it’s every play, it’s like interception, come on, get a turnover. When you watch James Harrison, you watch T.J. Watt on third down, you’re like this might be a sack-fumble. That’s a crazy thing to think, but it’s true.”
Fans in the stands constantly chant for a turnover in tight moments with the Steelers’ defense on the field. But a lot of people typically think about a game-changing interception. We saw that in the last two weeks with rookie CB Beanie Bishop Jr.
But Watt and Harrison before him have made the thought of a sack-fumble a real option in those moments. And that’s what happened on Monday night.
DPOTY WATT #steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/iNcuPiIw95
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) October 29, 2024
Eluemunor became a household name in the week leading up to the game for saying he wanted Watt on an island. On that snap, which became the most important snap of the game, Eluemunor got what he wanted. He wasn’t supposed to, Giants HC Brian Daboll revealed after the game, but he did anyway. And it blew up in his face.
But that’s what happens with T.J. Watt. It was his fourth official forced fumble (with two negated by penalty in Week 1) of the 2024 season. And it’s his 31st in 112 career regular-season games. That’s only two less than Harrison, who had 33 in 177 regular-season games with the Steelers.
You want the ball back in your hands as an offensive player, not watching opposing quarterbacks try to score on your defense. That’s why players like Harrison and Watt are so special. They’re weapons for getting the ball back in the offense’s hands. Watt did that against the Giants at the biggest moment. The Steelers got the ball back and closed the game out.
James Harrison and T.J. Watt were and are must-see pass rushers for the Steelers. Not only are they sack artists, but they both had a knack for separating the ball from the quarterback. And Roethlisberger is quite glad he got to stand on the sideline to see both of them work rather than being in the pocket against them.
