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T.J. Watt Shouts Out Steelers Offense

An improved Pittsburgh Steelers offense helped the defense dominate against the Bengals.

Stephen Thompson

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PITTSBURGH -- For superstar outside linebacker T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, their job was much easier this week than in some games prior and it had little to do with their opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The Steelers defense bottled up star running back Joe Mixon and overwhelmed first-time starting quarterback Jake Browning, holding them to just 222 total yards and 10 points. But outside linebacker T.J. Watt gave tons of credit to the offense for aiding the defense in a critical divisional win over the Bengals. 

“Rest," Watt said when asked what the key to sustaining their defensive dominance over four quarters. "I mean, I think we took 21, 22 snaps in the first half as a defense. Offense was controlling time of possession. Defense, we were able to get off the field. Obviously didn’t like that early drive that ended in a score but being able to smash the run helps a lot in trying to get them one-dimensional. Spent a lot of time on the bench today and that was awesome as a defense.”

The Steelers offense entered this game against the Bengals ranked 31st in the NFL in averaged time elapsed per drive but, in addition to surpassing 400 total yards for the first time in three seasons, they also won time of possession 37:17 to 22:43. 

The offense's marked improvements in the handful of days since head coach Mike Tomlin relieved offensive coordinator Matt Canada stole headlines in the aftermath of the Steelers' 16-10 win at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, but it was a team win, with the defense doing more than their fair share to contribute to the victory. 

Watt, however, is not interested in dealing out credit or blame and recognized how the team as a whole rallied after a gut-punch loss to the Cleveland Browns on the road last weekend. 

“Big win, division win," Watt said. "To be able bounce back after a loss, to show some resiliency in this group. We could have made a whole bunch of excuses this week. I’m so proud of us for sticking together and getting back on track feels good.”

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper. He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press. During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general. 

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