The Pittsburgh Steelers have the number-one defense in the NFL through the first three weeks after allowing only two touchdowns. During the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the defense only allowed -5 yards after halftime, with multiple players getting sacks on the quarterbacks.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Nick Herbig wrecked the Chargers' final few drives.
While they have many stars on that side of the ball, it is hard to minimize TJ Watt's impact. Watt has racked up a whopping 99.5 sacks and 411 tackles in his career. His incredible skills, dedication, and determination set him apart from others in the league.
Recently, the Steelers' new quarterback, Justin Fields, joined Cameron Heyward on his podcast, Not Just Football with Cam Heyward, to talk about his experience in the Steel City. Heyward asked Fields if there was anyone on the team who surprised him. Fields has played against Watt in the past -- he was even sacked by him three times in that game, yet he said he didn't know what to expect.
"I'm not going to lie, we played Atlanta Week 1 and I've never seen a player take over the game like T.J. [Watt] did," marveled Fields. "It was just his pregame speech, bro, I don't know if he's done that before, but I felt like I was in a movie. I didn't expect that, when he threw his helmet down, yelling, 'Oh h*** yeah! Oh h*** yeah!' I've never seen that. I didn't expect that. I'm ready to go after that! It was crazy."
Heyward laughed and said this isn't new to people who have played with Watt for a while. He said he has seen so much of Watt over the years, it doesn't surprise him anymore. According to Heyward, Watt will get himself so worked up that he can't even speak clearly.
"That was my first time I've heard him talk or give a pregame speech, but when he did that, I was ready to go," Fields proclaimed. "I try to stay calm, cool, collected, and even keel before the game. But that had me ready to go. You don't even know what TJ says, but I was ready. I saw pieces fly off the helmet, he threw his helmet down, it was crazy."
This had Heyward and his co-host Hayden Walsh in hysterics. Watt has also been a guest on the show, and his intensity wasn't a shocker to them. Heyward told Fields that he would eventually get used to it and just be like, "Oh, that's just TJ"
Fred Vuich
Steelers' TJ Watt engaged physically with a Falcons player.
Fields said that his pregame speeches are more like Heyward's, more calm. Heyward said that he always has to give his pregame speech before the team prayer, so he really can't get the group all riled up.
Steelers Have A Decision To Make At Quarterback
Fields has been afforded the opportunity to start because intended starter Russell Wilson has been injured since the start of training camp. However, Wilson is improving daily and will likely want to take over under center soon. That means that Head Coach Mike Tomlin will have a big decision to make.
Tomlin showed during the 2023 season that he is willing to stay with the hot hand over the named starter, but this situation is a bit different. Wilson is a former Super Bowl winner who has had a ton of success in the league.
Fields has said that he is glad to be a part of this team; he had some choice in where he would land and indicated recently that other teams were interested in him, including an AFC North rival. Now he is winning people over, not just with his continual improvements, but also with his calm demeanor.
Nick Smith / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields runs with the football against Denver.
It would surprise many if Tomlin chose to bench Fields while he is winning the team games. It makes sense to ensure that Wilson is 100% healthy before risking it. Analyst Mike Florio even suggested that this might be a bit like the "dumb superstitions" you see in baseball, where Tomlin can risk change for fear of upsetting what is working.
Are you surprised that Watt caught Fields off guard? Click to comment below.
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