New 30-something T.J. Watt carries burden of depleted Steelers' edge rusher corps

For the first night of his 30s, T.J. Watt wasn’t planning on hitting the Lawrenceville taverns or South Side clubs.

“My wife is incredible. Last week, she surprised me with three of my best buddies in town, so that was really special,” Watt said after Pittsburgh Steelers practice Friday, the day of his 30th birthday. “So tonight just hanging with her and my dog is all I need just to relax a little bit.”

Watt can use the rest. With so many of his fellow Steelers outside linebackers injured, he might have to carry the group during Sunday’s game at the Las Vegas Raiders.

With the other starting OLB, Alex Highsmith, out and backups Nick Herbig and DeMavin Leal suffering injuries during this past Sunday’s game, Watt played 70 snaps during the loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Only four times in his other 108 career games had Watt played more defensive snaps.

With the remainder of his likely position group in Las Vegas having combined for all of one previous NFL game this season, Watt knows he must avoid the temptation to try to do too much to overcompensate.

“No doubt,” Watt said. “It’s just about trusting everybody out there. We are all capable players capable of making plays on each and any down, and I am just trying to do my job and that’s doing what’s best for the team. I can’t try to be a superhero and go up and under, because then it’s kind of a domino effect — popcorn, as we call it — and we can’t have that.”

Jeremiah Moon, a waiver claim in January, made his Steelers debut last week after beginning the season on injured reserve. He figures to start in Las Vegas, with a practice-squader or two serving as backup(s): Eku Leota, Ade Ogundeji or rookie Jacoby Windmon.

“It’s hard to get to this level, so I look at all of them the same,” said right tackle Broderick Jones of the practice-squad edge rushers he faces in practice.

“We are leaking (at outside linebacker), it’s no secret. But that’s the motto here: Availability is the best ability, so the ones that are available, they are going to play, and I feel like they are gonna step up and do what they need to do.”