Stop me if you heard this one before: the Pittsburgh Steelers sealed a win because of the impeccable splash-play ability of T.J. Watt. On Monday Night Football the former Defensive Player of the Year and future Hall of Famer did it again.
With the Steelers holding a 26-18 lead over the Giants with just 4:30 left in the fourth quarter, quarterback Russell Wilson scrambled on second-and-six and coughed up the football. The ball was recovered by the Giants who began their drive at Pittsburgh's 37-yard line.
A touchdown and two-point conversion would have tied the game... but T.J. Watt had other plans.
On third-and-seven at the 19-yard-line, Watt dusted right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor for an easy win off the edge, racked the ball out of QB Daniel Jones' hands, and scooped up his own forced fumble. This play potentially saved seven points and gave the Steelers the ball back with just 2:59 remaining in the game.
T.J. WATT CLUTCH STRIP SACK ON DANIEL JONES 💪 #NYGvsPIT | ABC, ESPN, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/AClwJC8qla
— ESPN (@espn) October 29, 2024
Though the Giants did have one chance to answer back with 1:53 remaining and no timeouts, the Steelers defense was able to hold and Jones threw an interception to Beanie Bishop on the final play of the game before the Steelers entered victory formation.
T.J. Watt's value to the Steelers is proven once again
There were several questionable calls that went Pittsburgh's way in this contest. But even with the officiating on their side at times, that may not have been enough to secure the victory without the presence of Watt.
Though the Steelers held the Giants to under 20 points in the 26-18 win, they allowed running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. to rush for 145 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries (7.3 yards per carry) while giving up numerous big plays down the field.
But even after allowing 394 yards of offense to the Giants on their own turf, it was Watt's big-play ability that helped seal the victory for Pittsburgh. The Steelers star finished the Monday Night Football contest recording seven tackles, two sacks, two tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
This Week 8 MNF game featured two of the best players in the NFL: Watt and Giants' defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence was a nightmare for Pittsburgh to block, but it was Watt who got the last laugh in this one thanks to his splash-play ability. He deserves a pat on the back sealing another Steelers win.