Steelers Rally Without Watt, Honor Him With Signature Sack Celebration
PITTSBURGH - In a game where the Pittsburgh Steelers needed every ounce of grit and leadership, they found a way to deliver - and they did it in a way that paid tribute to the heartbeat of their defense.
With T.J. Watt sidelined due to a partially collapsed lung, veteran defensive tackle Cam Heyward stepped up in more ways than one. Not only did he help anchor a defense that held firm against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football, but he also honored Watt with a nod that Steelers fans instantly recognized: Watt’s signature sack celebration.
Heyward, along with linebackers Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith, had agreed before the game that if any of them got to the quarterback, they’d break out Watt’s trademark move. And when Heyward notched a sack, he followed through - though he joked afterward that his form might’ve left something to be desired.
“I don’t think I got my leg up high enough,” Heyward said with a grin, acknowledging that Watt’s celebration might be best left to the original.
Watt’s absence loomed large heading into the Week 15 matchup. The All-Pro pass rusher sustained the lung injury following a dry needling procedure after a workout at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
He was hospitalized and underwent a procedure to repair the damage, but was released shortly after. While head coach Mike Tomlin hasn’t ruled him out for next week’s game against the Detroit Lions, he also didn’t offer much in the way of a timeline.
“I’ve got no new news on T.J.,” Tomlin said postgame. “I’m sure I will later in the week, but I haven’t heard any new updates regarding his availability or what that looks like as he starts to work his way back to us.”
The Steelers’ defense had its work cut out for it without Watt - and history wasn’t on their side. Pittsburgh entered Monday night with a 1-11 record in games Watt didn’t play. But this time, the unit rose to the occasion.
“Obviously, we miss T.J., but I think we had other guys step up,” Heyward said. “In the past, we haven’t really had Alex [Highsmith], Nick [Herbig], Jack [Sawyer] to kind of make up that collective.
But you know, it’s not a one-man team. It’s not a one-man defense.
We all have to thrive and we all have to play our best ball in December.”
That’s the kind of mindset that’s kept this defense competitive, even when missing one of the league’s most dominant edge rushers. Highsmith brought his usual energy, Herbig flashed his speed off the edge before exiting with a hamstring injury, and the rest of the front seven played with the kind of urgency that’s become a hallmark of Pittsburgh football in December.
Herbig’s injury is something to watch, especially with a short turnaround before facing the Lions. If he’s unavailable, the Steelers could be thin at outside linebacker - a position that’s already taken a hit with Watt out.
Still, Monday night was about more than just patching holes. It was about a defense finding its identity without its biggest star - and paying tribute to him in the process.
The sack celebration might’ve been a little off in execution, but the message was loud and clear: T.J. Watt may not have been on the field, but his presence was felt.
And as December football heats up, the Steelers know they’ll need every bit of that collective effort to keep their playoff hopes alive.