In the wake of the surprise lung injury to star defender T.J. Watt, the Pittsburgh Steelers must find a way to overcome his absence to maintain their slim lead in the AFC North race. Based on past results without their all-time sack leader, that will be easier said than done.
The Steelers struggles without Watt in the lineup are well documented, but they are worth repeating. In 11 games without him so far since he entered the league in 2017, they have won just one of them. Yes, just one. It's hard to fathom that a team without a losing record in over 20 years could be so terrible while missing any player, even a starting quarterback.
Yet, that's the reality of how this team usually wins games. Without reliable QB play or offensive firepower, Pittsburgh has relied on their defense to will them to victory over the past half decade. Without Watt, they often didn't have the ability to stick to that identity.
Things are different in 2025, however. Or at least they might be, if Aaron Rodgers can do what other Steelers QBs could not in the past.
Pittsburgh Steelers' Aaron Rodgers might be the QB capable of overcoming T.J. Watt's absence
The only victory the Steelers have managed without Watt since he entered the league was in 2022, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-18 in Tom Brady's final season. It sounds crazy for that to be the only win, especially when they suffered losses to teams starting guys like Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, and Jacoby Brissett.
Regardless, it wasn't just the defense falling apart without him in the lineup that doomed them. Sure, they have given up an average of 27.1 points per game in the 10 losses, but the offense only averaged 16.3 points per game. You aren't going to win many games putting up numbers like that offensively.
For the Steelers to break free from their reliance on what Watt brings to the table, it will require the offense to handle more of the responsibility. Luckily, we have already seen that happen this season, even with Watt in the lineup, thanks to starting QB Aaron Rodgers.
Pittsburgh is scoring more this season (23.7 points per game) than they have since the 2020 season. Rodgers hasn't been perfect, but he is playing QB at a higher level than any the Steelers have employed since the end of Ben Roethlisberger's career.
The four-time MVP is also coming off his best game in the Black and Gold. The hope is that he can keep that momentum going against a Dolphins team that is surging, headed into Monday Night Football. If Rodgers plays as he did against the Ravens a week ago, Watt's absence might finally not be a death sentence for their hopes of winning.