Before the Hard Knocks cameras can air it, Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt shared the message coming out of the team meeting room Thursday, 48 hours before a critical game against the Baltimore Ravens. In games that are almost always close and down to the wire, deciding the AFC North will come down to the final few minutes. That’s where the Steelers must shine.
“I look forward to every game.,” Watt told reporters Thursday via the team website. “Obviously, this is a huge game. It’s an important one. Playing in Baltimore is always tough. Playing against this opponent is always tough. It always comes down to big plays in the fourth quarter. That was the big message today, and I don’t see this game being any different.”
Though Pittsburgh has dominated as victor in recent years, the results have always been close. All eight of the Steelers’ most recent wins have been by one possession, four of which were decided by no more than three points. Incredibly, the Steelers have only led after the third quarter in three of those nine games compared to the Ravens’ five. The two teams were tied in the other.
The Steelers know the art of a comeback and how to close out a game. It’s why Pittsburgh has sustained its success, strong in one-possession games and in the fourth quarter. Both stats have held true this season, though the Steelers wilted in their Week 15 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Guys like Watt embody those clutch moments. Since being drafted in 2017, he’s third leaguewide in fourth-quarter sacks with 28 only trailing retired DT Aaron Donald (31) and Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson (29). Other plays he’s made aren’t quite as visible on the stat sheet like the pressure he got on a failed game-winning two-point conversion attempt by the Ravens in 2020.
With injuries mounting and the difficulties of a short week, the Steelers will have their hands full Saturday. But it seems no matter the circumstances or arc of either team, these games are played the same way. Tough, physical, intense. This one will end the same way, too.
