Steelers news: Pittsburgh downs Carolina, T.J. Watt shows up big
By Tommy Jaggi
After a disheartening loss in Week 14, Pittsburgh bounced back with a big win against the Carolina Panthers in Week 15. Here’s the latest Steelers news.
This surge was a long time coming, but we are finally starting to see some pretty good football from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Many fans will chalk this up to the inferior competition they’ve faced over the second half of their 2022 schedule, but since the bye, Pittsburgh is not 4-2 — two of which games came without staring quarterback Kenny Pickett.
As expected, head coach Mike Tomlin showed that he’s not giving up on this season without a fight — regardless of how grim his playoff odds look. For the most part, Week 15 proved to be encouraging for Pittsburgh fans. Here’s the Steelers news you need to catch up on following a crowded slate of games over the weekend.
Steelers news
Despite being underdogs in their Week 15 contest against the Carolina Panthers, the Pittsburgh Steelers emerged victorious with a final score of 24-16. This game was never really as close as the score seems to indicate, and Tomlin’s team never trailed.
Plenty of players deserve credit for their strong performances with QB Mitch Trubiky being at the forefront. However, this was an outstanding team effort on both sides of the ball. Ultimately, the Steelers grossly outpaced the Panthers in total yards (325 to 209), plays (68 to 43), and time of possession (36:11 to 23:49), according to ESPN stats.
More Steelers news
This Steelers win probably won’t prove to be significant in the grand scheme of things, but it was really nice to see T.J. Watt explode with a big performance on Sunday against the Panthers. Since returning from IR with a pectoral injury and arthroscopic knee surgery, Watt added a rib injury to his list of ailments.
Over the past several weeks, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year certainly seemed to be hampered by this injury. However, for really the first time since Week 1, Watt looked like the utterly dominant presence we are used to seeing. Against the Panthers, Watt recorded 1.5 sacks, 2 quarterback hits, and a tackle for a loss. He was also part of a strong defensive front that allowed a mere 1.3 yards per carry and 21 total rushing yards on the ground. T.J. Watt appears to be back to full strength.
NFL news
Week 15 marked the start of Saturday games in the NFL, and there were some remarkable contests prior to Sunday’s slate. After trailing 33-0 in the first half, the Minnesota Vikings mounted the greatest comeback in NFL history against the Colts as they shocked the nation in a miraculous 39-36 victory. Hours later, the Bills and Dolphins had an epic battle in the cold that was ultimately decided by a field goal late in the game. Buffalo would claim a 32-29 win as time expired.