The Pittsburgh Steelers played in what was a pretty forgettable game on Sunday as the team lost to the New England Patriots by a score of 20-3 in Week 2 of the 2026 season. The offense is mainly at fault for the loss as the unit turned the ball over twice while managing to put just three points on the board during the contest. The defense on the other hand was pretty fantastic. It allowed just 13 points for the second game in a row, which means it is on the offense to find a way to get more points on the board.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker TJ Watt (middle) fires up his teammates before a regular season game against the New England Patriots in 2025.
One of the defenders that has stood out for the Steelers so far in 2026 has been outside linebacker TJ Watt. He has been an absolute game wrecker through the first two games of the year. In Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, he recorded two sacks and a pick-six, and in Week 2 against the Patriots, he recorded another sack and a half. He is near the top of the NFL through two weeks when it comes to sacks, and he looks like a younger version of himself.
Despite the great individual performance, Watt has been under fire from fans in New England since the game ended due to an injury that occurred to one of their offensive linemen. The play occurred near the end of the first quarter, and Watt laid out to sack Drake Maye. Unfortunately, he rolled up on the leg of guard Mike Onwenu, who suffered a gruesome ankle injury. Some fans have been calling Watt dirty for the play, which Christian Kuntz addressed on the most recent episode of The Christian Kuntz Podcast.
"Oh, I mean, what are we talking about?" Kuntz asked. "That's just people that have never played and have no idea, like you think TJ knew? He's trying to make a tackle. He dove to try to make a tackle."
The play resulted in a sack on Maye, and it was first and goal. That pushed the Patriots back, and Alex Highsmith then recorded another sack a few plays later which forced a field goal. It could have been a huge swing in the game had the final score wound up being closer.
Bob DeChiara / Imagn Images
New England Patriots OL Mike Onwenu gets carted off of the field after breaking his ankle while playing the Steelers in 2026.
It has already been reported that Onwenu is being added to Injured Reserve (IR), and there is a very good chance that he will be missing the remainder of the season. This is obviously frustrating for Patriots fans as it is never good to lose a starting offensive lineman this early in the season, especially when the team has legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Greg Van Roten will now step into the starting lineup for New England while Onwenu is out.
The frustration that boils over for a fan base when a major injury occurs is understandable, but taking it out on Watt for what was a routine play is a bit ridiculous. He could not have intentionally dove to break Onwenu's ankle, he was simply trying to bring down Maye behind the line of scrimmage while the Patriots were on the brink of scoring.
Steelers' TJ Watt Is Back To His Old Ways
Aside from the fact that the Steelers have not looked all that great to begin the 2026 season, it is good to see that Watt is back to playing how fans are accustomed to. He had a down year in 2025, and now that he is playing fewer snaps, he is seeing some more production. The entire outside linebacker group has been impressive for Pittsburgh. Nick Herbig punched the ball out of a running back's hands to start the game against New England, and Highsmith has racked up three sacks on the season. Jack Sawyer has also looked promising in a rotational role.
What do you think about Patriots fans blaming Watt? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
#SteelerNation