'Joe Money' — Haden’s return instrumental in big day for Steelers defense

Joe Haden is among a dwindling few NFL players whose official weight is less than 200 pounds.

Haden, though, proved big Sunday — both in his physical strength and his sage-like presence in returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“We let everyone know that Joe lifts weights with that last stop,” teammate Joe Schobert said of Haden’s tackle that assured a 19-13 victory against the Tennessee Titans. “(Nick Westbrook-Ikhine) couldn’t get to the first-down marker on him.”

Clutch tackle. @joehaden23 just won the game. ???? #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/fgxR2Umirm

— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2021

In standing up Westbrook-Ikhine on fourth down at the Steelers’ 10, inches short of the line to gain, with 27 seconds left, Haden appeared the man with strength of maybe 100 pounds more than his 195-pound stature.

Fitting, because despite being 5-foot-11, Haden stands about 7 feet tall in the Steelers’ locker room.

“It’s not just his playmaking — it’s the presence that he brings,” coach Mike Tomlin said of Haden, who played Sunday for the first time since suffering a foot injury during a Nov. 14 tie against the Detroit Lions.

“He’s got leadership skills. He’s got great experience. He smiles in the face of adversity. That’s contagious. There were some tangible and intangible qualities to his presence today.”

Haden was credited with one of the Steelers’ four takeaways (technically a fumble recovery, though he said he was hoping it’d be called an interception) and had two tackles Sunday. He was kept off the field for select series by Tomlin in an effort to keep Haden fresh after the month-plus of relative inactivity.

But even if Haden wasn’t all over the official stat sheet, the Steelers insist it isn’t a coincidence that their defense was full of “splash” on the day he returned to their lineup.

“Joe’s a proven, NFL-caliber player for 12 years now,” Schobert said. “He gets his hand on the ball when he’s in the game. He’s a turnover machine. And obviously, he came up big with that last stop.”

Haden’s veteran savvy was on display on that play. The Steelers had given up 34.3 points per game in his stead while starting James Pierre (who ultimately was benched) and Ahkello Witherspoon at outside cornerback.

A first-round pick in 2010 and the Steelers’ second-oldest player behind Ben Roethlisberger, Haden is in his fifth season with the Steelers. On a defense that at times this season has acknowledged some lapses in communication, Haden knew exactly what he was doing on the game-deciding play, a fourth-and-7 from the Steelers’ 16.

“We were in a man-to-man call, and so when my receiver ran in, I thought he was setting a pick play for an inside receiver to run a wheel route,” Haden said. “I had my heels on the first-down marker so I was sliding inside. When he threw it to (Westbrook-Ikhine), I knew if I tackled him and made him move backward instead of forward there was no way he was going to be able to get the first down.”

Westbrook-Ikhine didn’t, and the Steelers kept their playoff and division-title hopes alive because of a win during a game in which its offense scored one touchdown and managed just 168 yards of offense.

The Steelers won because of defense — and the defense was that good, in no small part, because of the Steelers’ biggest little man, their second highest-paid player who has made almost $117 million over the course of his NFL career.

“He’s Joe Money,” linebacker T.J. Watt said. “He’s got swag. He’s the flashiest looking guy in the locker room and out on the field. He just brings a bit of swagger and some mojo with him, and I think it rubs off on all of us. He’s a vet. He makes a lot of those smart veteran plays, and lot of that rubs off on other guys, as well. So I’m just happy to have him back.”

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