T.J. Watt shows worth to Steelers with 2 sacks, decisive forced fumble in OT

Ben Roethlisberger’s attention wasn’t on the field when Sunday night’s crucial moment played out. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback was talking to a teammate when the crowd roar signaled the obvious: The defense forced a turnover deep in the Seattle Seahawks’ end of the field.

Roethlisberger didn’t know what the play was — but he had a pretty good idea who made it.

“I kind of asked someone, ‘Was it T.J.?’ ” Roethlisberger said after the game. “Because you kind of expect that.”

Yes, Ben, it indeed was T.J.

T.J. Watt’s strip sack of Geno Smith just past the midway point of overtime put the Steelers in position for a winning field goal and a 23-20 victory Sunday.

“I mean, that’s why we paid T.J. Watt,” Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth said, “to make plays like that.”

Watt inked a nine-figure contract that included $80 million in guarantees late during Steelers’ training camp. There was much consternation throughout much of the summer as to whether the deal would get done or even if Watt was worth the money.

Games like Sunday can be pointed to as why the Steelers’ investment was wise.

“That’s how he’s compensated,” coach Mike Tomlin said of Watt. “I don’t think anyone is surprised by his ability to deliver in those moments.”

TJ WATT strip sacks Geno Smith to put the Steelers in position to win the game #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/JcNTU04GxV

— BetOnline.ag (@betonline_ag) October 18, 2021

Watt had made routine of the sublime. His two-sack game Sunday was his third in five games he’s played this season. He has 13 multiple-sack games in his career.

But what made Watt’s effort against the Seahawks stand out among even those is both of Watt’s sacks Sunday came in overtime.

Watt became the first NFL player to have two or more sacks and a forced fumble in overtime since sacks first were tracked for defenders beginning in 1982, according to the Steelers.

The one with 4 minutes, 27 seconds left that forced a fumble recovered by teammate Devin Bush will get most of the attention. But it might not have happened without a Watt sack 2:50 prior because that one came on third-and-4 and ensured a Seattle drive would end without points.

The overtime sacks punctuated a game in which Watt was at his best after Seattle tied the score 17-17 early in the fourth quarter. From the 10:37 mark of regulation on, Watt had a batted-down pass, two tackles for loss of running back Alex Collins, a tackle of running back Travis Homer for a 1-yard gain, two sacks and a forced fumble.

WATT CON EL SACK ‼️???????? pic.twitter.com/9uLSYLIvnY

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“I love the fourth quarter and the overtime by T.J.,” Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward said. “All game, he was like, ‘Man, I’m just not hitting home.’ I told him it was going to come and just, ‘Keep staying after it. You’re going to be great.’

“And when we needed it the most, he made his plays. What an emphatic play to end the game with a sack, strip, fumble. We needed it, and he’s a (heck) of a player.”

On the Steelers’ final defensive play of the game, Watt said the Steelers were in a run-stop look. Smith couldn’t find an open receiver and was trying to step up in the pocket to scramble for positive yardage. Watt swiped the ball from his hand.

????️ T.J. Watt strip-sack on Geno Smith in OT

Watt forced his 12th turnover caused by pressure since 2018, tied for 3rd-most in the NFL in that span.

Chris Boswell kicked a game-winning 37-yd field goal three plays later...

Steelers win, 23-20.#StatThat | Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/VU2rXmqXO8

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 18, 2021

“I didn’t see him,” Smith said. “I had two hands on the ball, was getting ready to tuck it and get as many yards as I could and slide. He’s a great player.”

Said Watt: “I don’t even think I had a good rush or anything, I was just trying to find a path to the quarterback, and luckily I was able to and chop at the ball and the ball came out.”

It’s not a stretch to say the plays Watt made in overtime won the Steelers the game. They add to a highlight reel that has made Watt the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player.

“He’s a great player,” Tomlin said, “but it’s about what he’s willing to do in terms of preparation and conditioning himself and all of those things. It’s not anything mystical about that play-making. We talk about a guy that’s really talented, that works extremely hard, that’s hyper-focused, prepared physically and mentally, so that’s what happens.”

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