The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense got off to a horrendous start to the season through their first two games, giving up 32 points to the Jets and 31 to the Seahawks. They quieted the talk about their demise with a five-turnover performance in their 21-14 victory over the Patriots in Week 3, but that game still featured plenty of bad moments.
A big part of their improvement in Week 3 was a vintage showing from superstar pass rusher T.J. Watt, who had been invisible by his standards in Weeks 1 and 2. He collected two sacks and a forced fumble.
Currently battling the Vikings in Dublin, Ireland, Watt made another huge play that he has become known for despite being an edge defender. Watt read Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz's eyes, dropped back from his rush, and tipped a pass to himself for his eighth-career interception.
T.J. Watt continues his hot streak with another big play for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Watt has made a habit of forcing turnovers throughout his career, with 34 career forced fumbles and now eight interceptions. Seeing him make those game-changing plays the last two weeks is a huge relief for Steelers fans, as he had failed to do so for weeks going back to last season.
Watt may have lost a little bit of his burst and overall juice as a pass rusher compared to his DPOY peak, but his instincts and football IQ is still unmatched at the edge position. Those smarts allow him to remain one of the NFL's most impactful defenders, even as guys like Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson have surpassed him as pure pass rushers.
His third-quarter interception of Wentz is a great example of that. He quickly realized that the ball was going to come out long before he could get pressure, so he simply read the QBs eyes and got his hands on the ball.
The Steelers are among the best at disrupting passes at the line, and this game has highlighted that as well as any. Rookie Derrick Harmon forced an interception earlier in the game by doing the same thing, and it has clearly rattled the Vikings' veteran QB.
Watt may never contend for another DPOY trophy, but this play (and his overall play of late) shows that he is worth every penny of his massive contract.