Over the past two weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ pass rush feels alive again. Eleven sacks in two games. T.J. Watt broke his sack drought, Nick Herbig keeps making an impact, and rookie Derrick Harmon picked up the first of his career. The Steelers are at their best when the front is taking down the opposing quarterback.
But Pittsburgh can be just as impactful when they aren’t getting to the quarterback. There’s been a key point of emphasis on the front’s ability to get its hands up in throwing lanes to disrupt the passer when there’s time to throw. Tipped passes and interceptions have littered the team’s tape the first month of the season. The plays don’t always look as gaudy on the box score but they can be just as impactful, if not more.
Below is a 38-second cut-up of what Pittsburgh has done through two games. It includes plays you remember and ones you might forget. Cam Heyward has tipped two passes that directly led to interceptions. One by Nick Herbig against Seattle in Week 2, another by Brandin Echols against New England the following week. Both came at critical moments: 4th and 1 and goal line before the half.
He’s hardly alone. Harmon tipped a pass that led to SS DeShon Elliott’s pick to help beat the Minnesota Vikings. Later in the game, Watt got his hands on another. The list goes on and on. Even backups like NT Daniel Ekuale have gotten the job done.
Watt has become the king at these plays. His football IQ is off the charts and he understands situational ball well. When the ball is expected to come out quickly, like on 4th and short or on the goal line, Watt knows the attention he sees makes it hard to consistently rush the passer, leaving him to spy the quarterback and impact throwing lanes. It’s a big reason why he has eight career interceptions.
It’s these “little” things that result in big plays, and why turnovers aren’t just an accident. It’s one part culture, one part practice. Drills the team works on before the season begins. Go to training camp and you’ll watch the defensive linemen work on tip drills, one batting the ball up, the other catching. It’s not something that happens in every NFL city.
Credit should go to defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. Since being hired in 2019, he’s emphasized takeaways and turnover circuit drills throughout practice. Over that span, no team has as many takeaways as Pittsburgh’s 180.
The Steelers are intentional about making these types of plays, and four weeks into 2025, they’re making a ton of them.
