Tim Benz: Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt hope to avoid 'roller coaster' but must continue climb back to top

When the Pittsburgh Steelers won their first game of the season, one single identifiable trait got them to victory, even though there were plenty of holes elsewhere.

The passing game.

Aaron Rodgers, his pass catchers and Arthur Smith’s pass game design were really good. Very little else was.

Sunday’s 21-14 win in New England had a similar storyline. One single, identifiable trait was good. Not much else was.

The Steelers’ pass rush. It was back. At least for one game.

Five sacks of Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. Eight QB hits. Numerous other pressures. A couple of batted passes at the defensive line.

“We just knew early on in the game that (Maye) had trouble diagnosing coverages, and we just threw a different mix of things at him that made him hold the ball, and we were able to get home,” linebacker T.J. Watt said Monday. “Obviously, the guys in the back did a great job. The guys in front did really well. I think (Derrick Harmon) had a great game for the reps that he had. Cam Heyward was a force, and (Nick Herbig) was rushing the passer really well.”

Over the course of the young season, the Steelers rank fourth in team pass rush grades at 79.0, according to Pro Football Focus. Only the Browns (90.2), Texans (81.7) and Packers (79.8) rank higher.

Regardless of numbers, though, this was by far Pittsburgh’s most effective pass rush in 2025. Coordinator Teryl Austin’s unit was finally finishing off opportunities, dropping Maye five times while they only combined for three sacks on Sam Darnold and Justin Fields over the first two weeks.

“We always want to get home. We do. Some weeks, it just doesn’t happen,” Watt said. “You want it to happen each and every week. We feel like we’ve had a unit for a lot of years here where you look and you see three, four, sometimes six, seven sacks in a game, and we haven’t been doing that lately. So it feels better to be able to get five on the board and be able to contribute as a front.”

Watt and Heyward were two of the biggest contributors. Heyward had six tackles Sunday, a sack, tipped a pass that became an interception in the end zone and forced a fumble near the goal line.

DEFENSE WITH ANOTHER HUGE PLAY‼️

????: #PITvsNE on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/UcSV1Oax6D

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 21, 2025

Watt had five tackles, two sacks and recovered a fumble.

We'll take that ????

????: #PITvsNE on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/d1b2EhI2A1

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 21, 2025

The guys who make the most did the most. And to Watt’s previous point, that hasn’t been the case for numerous weeks.

Prior to Sunday, Watt hadn’t registered a sack in his previous six games. For Heyward, it had been seven.

For two guys who are making a combined $46.1 million against the cap in 2025 ($58.7 million in cash), that’s embarrassing.

For those who were blasting the “How do you like ‘em now?!” trumpets about Heyward and Watt after the game, the answer is easy.

I like them a lot.

They are great players. I probably wouldn’t have forked over $108 million guaranteed to Watt through 2028. I’d also be judicious about giving Heyward everything he is going to want beyond this year, as he is about to turn 37.

But they are still All-Pro caliber.

Which is why the criticism for their dry spell getting to the passer — to say nothing of the defense’s collective play overall — has been 100% warranted dating to December of last year.

“We’re not a finished product,” Heyward said in Foxborough after the win. “We talk about not riding the roller coaster, win or loss. This is something we can continue to keep improving on. I think it’s great for our younger guys — even better for our older guys. Because we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Heyward may not be a fan of roller coasters. But every week around the Steelers feels like one big, long day at Kennywood. And they never seem to be taking us on the paddle boats.

He’s been around long enough to know what to expect, and the little amount he and Watt have produced prior to Sunday’s victory was much less than expected.

Hopefully, their bust-out performance in Foxborough was part of a long, slow ride to the top.

Otherwise, see you on the Phantom’s Revenge after you come back from Ireland.