The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 32-13 in Week 6. It was only the second time since the start of the 2021 season that the Steelers defeated an opponent by at least 19 points.
But the game could have been a lot closer if not for T.J. Watt.
The 4-time first-team All-Pro didn’t have any sacks. But he tied a career high with 2 forced fumbles, the last of which came at the 1-yard line for the Raiders offense.
After the victory, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin expressed a strong appreciation for Watt’s performance.
“Can’t say enough about T.J. [Watt] that hasn’t already been said in terms of his ability to impact the game in a variety of ways,” Tomlin told reporters. “It is special. We’re not surprised by it. But it’s still special.”
It was Watt’s fifth game with 2 forced fumbles in his NFL career. The last time Watt had 2 forced fumbles in a contest was Week 1 of the 2023 season.
T.J. Watt Stars for Steelers Defense Without Any Sacks
The Steelers entered Week 6 without edge rushers Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. On October 12, the team also placed defensive end DeMarvin Leal on injured reserve.
So, the Steelers badly needed Watt to play like the star he is versus the Raiders. He didn’t disappoint.
Although he didn’t record a sack, Watt forced 2 fumbles. Defensive lineman Keeanu Benton recovered the first Watt forced fumble at the Raiders 30-yard line with 2:39 remaining in the first half.
The Steelers converted the takeaway into a touchdown, which gave them their first lead of the day. They didn’t relinquish that lead the rest of the afternoon.
Watt’s second forced fumble came with the Steelers leading 22-7. The Raiders, though, were 1 yard away from pulling back to within a touchdown.
But for the second time, Watt punched the ball free on a running play. Safety DeShon Elliott recovered the loose ball.
“I don’t know what other way to state it other than I’m not surprised by it, but it doesn’t make it any less amazing,” Tomlin told the media. “If you’ve been around him during the course of his career here, you just know that he’s going to seize those moments. He’s going to rise up and be what we need him to be in some form or fashion.
“I just think today was a reflection of it. It’s just another chapter in his awesome story that is his career.”
Watt Finds Different Way to Help Steelers Win
Watt has led the NFL in sacks three times in the past four seasons. He had 4.5 sacks in the first five games this season and became the second-fastest player in NFL history to reach 100 career sacks during Week 5.
But without Highsmith and Herbig versus the Raiders, Watt told the media that he knew he was going to have to find a different method for impacting the game other than sacks.
“I understand that, at a certain point, if they want to truly eliminate you getting to the quarterback by getting the ball out quick, with slides and chips, a team can pretty much do that,” Watt told the media. “So I’m going to have to try and find ways to continue to effect the game as much as possible.
“I’ve been doing the punchout since back to Tim Tibesar in college at Wisconsin. He coached Peanut Tillman in Chicago, and he used to tell me that Peanut used to always get a ball out in practice. I’ve carried that with me, and it’s been something that I’ve continued to try and do.”
Typically, Watt registers his forced fumbles on sacks. But Week 6 was the first time in Watt’s career that he posted 2 forced fumbles with zero sacks.
