Week 8 Blog: Watt's message is plain and simple

The Steelers
25 Oct 2025, 01:54 GMT+10

Teresa Varley

Friday, October 24

Watt's message is plain and simple:T.J. Watt made it loud and clear on Friday what the defense needs to do this week to correct the issues they had against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football.

"Stop the run, stop the run, stop the run," said Watt emphatically.

The Steelers allowed 142 yards rushing against the Bengals, something Watt doesn't want to repeat this week.

But there is more.

"Obviously, try to affect the passer as much as we possibly can," said Watt. "I'm not happy with not getting takeaways two weeks in a row. I think there's just a lot of things, guys doing their job individually and allowing us to play the best we possibly can collectively and getting back to what we do. It sucks going through this high, low, high, and low.

"We just got to get it figured out. I feel like we had a good week this week. It only pays off if we perform on Sunday night."

Watt said there are times when you do get a feel for how the game might play out based on a week of practice, but it doesn't always hold true.

"Sometimes it's a terrible week of practice and you go out and play well," said Watt. "Sometimes it's the other way around.

"But you like to think that usually good practice translates to good play. And I feel good about this week."

The defense has a lot of new pieces this season, but Watt said that should have no impact at this point of the season.

"There's no excuse," said Watt. "We're six, seven games in now at this point. We've been together since the summer, especially in the early training camp period.

"So, there's no excuse. Us having new guys, every team has new guys, new additions. We just need to be on the same page."

Happy to be back at practice:Linebacker Malik Harrison returned to practice last week.

Now he is hoping to get back to game action soon.

Harrison, who was signed to a two-year contract at the start of free agency, was injured in the season-opener against the New York Jets and is currently on the Reserve/Injured, Designated for Return List.

"I feel good, feel back normal," said Harrison. "It doesn't hurt any more. Just ready to get back out there.

"I'm happy to be out there. Last week was my first practice. I felt good out there this week. I feel even better."

Harrison said it took some time from the point of the injury until now to get everything back rolling, including confidence in making all the moves with his knee.

"I had to build my confidence back up," said Harrison. "I think when I first was running, I wasn't that confident. But once I got back out there and playing football, I got confident."

Harrison has appeared in 77 career games, with 35 starts. He has 144 career tackles, 78 of them solo stops, and seven tackles for a loss. He also has two sacks, four quarterback hurries, and one pass defensed. In addition, he has 30 special teams tackles, including 17 solo stops.

"I've been in the league for six years, so I've got a lot of experience, on the special teams side especially," said Harrison. "Even in the meeting rooms this whole time I've been out, I've been giving advice to guys, especially talking to the young guys, telling them what I see and things like that."

It's not just special teams, though. Harrison's playing demeanor fits right in with the defense.

"That's what they brought me here for," said Harrison. "I'm a physical guy. I feel like I can stop the run. That's what I came here for."

Loving the look:There has been a lot of chatter, and great feedback, on the Steelers 1933 Throwback Uniforms that they will wear against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football.

And two players thoroughly enjoyed getting an early inside scoop in them.

Linebacker Alex Highsmith and tight end Pat Freiermuth received a sneak peek of the uniforms when they took part in photo and video shoots for them at the historic Carrie Furnace in Swissvale, a remnant of the once massive US Steel Homestead Steel Works, and the Rivers of Steel: Pump House and Water Tower in Homestead, harking back to the history of Pittsburgh as a steel town.

"I had never been to the Carrie Blast Furnace before and seeing the history there, where all of the steel for the United States was made at a certain point, and intertwining our throwback uniform with Pittsburgh's past history, it was really cool to have that all play out," said Freiermuth.

Highsmith's photo shoot took place at Rivers of Steel: Pump House, on a rainy day that just fit the old school mood perfectly.

"It was actually sick how we did it all," said Highsmith. "It was raining that day, and we were at the bottom of it and the rain was flooding into the building. It truly was like The Dark Knight where he is in his cave, and he gets he has all his suits and everything. In that scene, there was a waterfall, and we had a waterfall in the background because of the rain. It was dark and eerie.

"It was pretty sick, and it was the perfect spot for bringing the uniform, the team history and the history of the region together."

Bringing you the action:For fans who don't want to miss any of the action, NFL+ is here, which means you can now watch the Steelers live and on the go! Watch live local and primetime regular season games on mobile, plus NFL RedZone, NFL Network, live audio and more - all in one place.

Thursday, October 23

One to grow on:It wasn't film they necessarily wanted to watch, but going back over the tape from the Steelers loss to the Cincinnati Bengals is something the defense was able to learn from.

The key now is to put the lessons into action.

"We've just got to be accountable in our gaps," said defense tackle Cameron Heyward. "Sometimes we just want to make the play so bad that we get out of our gaps and it makes the defense susceptible.

"Our tackling has got to be a lot better. Hopefully we can learn from it. Good teach tape and move on."

Heyward was asked why there is inconsistency on the defense, especially with the group of veterans they have.

He again pointed to wanting to make a play.

"Every guy wants to make a play," said Heyward. "Sometimes you've got to temper that, just buy in.

"This defense has always made about just 11 doing their jobs. We've just got to get back to that. It's not old guy versus young guy. It's just everybody's got to buy in.

"I think we have the guys capable of doing it. We've got a lot of ball to play. I just think we've got to learn from our mistakes.

"We've still got a lot of ball to play. No one said it was going to be easy. We've just got to pick our game up."

This week they will have to do that against the Green Bay Packers and quarterback Jordan Love, who has led his team to a 4-1-1 record so far.

"Jordan Love is a really good quarterback," said Heyward. "There's not a throw he can't make on the field. Tucker Kraft is one of the better tight ends in this league. They've got a lot of good receivers. Their offensive line finishes a lot in their plays.

"(Running back) Josh Jacobs, we've played over the years. He always provides a challenge for our group.

"After our last performance, this is the perfect dose we need to get back to good football."

Gone, but not forgotten:Yes, the Steelers defense has put Thursday night's loss to the Bengals behind them because it's something you have to do in the NFL.

You can't let it linger, or it will get in the way of your preparation for the upcoming game.

That being said, it doesn't mean the defense doesn't want to correct some of the issues that resulted in the Bengals putting up 142 yards rushing.

"I think we just have to be better in all aspects," said linebacker Alex Highsmith. "Obviously, it comes to stopping the run. We've got to do that first and foremost to be a great defense. We've got to stop the runs, we couldn't do that.

"And then, when we get teams in one-dimensional passing moments, we've got to get off the field. So, I think just overall, we've got to look at the film and find ways we can be better."

Highsmith, however, knows the issues are correctable.

"There's little things just here and there," said Highsmith. "Details, stuff like that. We've just got to be more physical at the point of attack, especially in the run game. And then we just got to get better from there."

One of the things that hurt the defense was how fast quarterback Joe Flacco was getting rid of the ball last week. It's something they have to work on to be able to get pressure this week.

"We've just got to be more strategic. But at the end of day, even if he is getting it out of his hand quick, we've got to find a way to get to him more."

Changing things up:The Steelers will have a whole new look when they take on the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football at Acrisure Stadium.

Well, kind of.

The Steelers will wear their 1933 Throwback Uniform, one with some variations from the original ones worn that season.

But it will be a completely different look from what fans are accustomed to seeing.

"It's cool to switch it up," said linebacker Payton Wilson. "We wear a lot of black, white, and yellow, so it's nice to change it up a little bit, get some different colors on, bring a little extra juice to the fire."

The gold throwback jersey features black stripes, with large white block letters trimmed in black on the front. The front will also prominently feature the City of Pittsburgh crest on the left shoulder to honor the team's connection to the city, while on the back of the jersey are large black block numbers.

The helmet features a gold matte finish with a gray facemask and a black stripe down the middle, while beige uniform pants will complete the look.

"I have seen the jerseys with the pictures Alex (Highsmith) and Pat (Freiermuth) did," said Wilson. "I think they look good. I'm excited to wear them. Excited to try something new."

And what better time to wear them than on a national spotlight.

"It's going to be awesome," said Wilson. "Primetime football is a whole different world. We got a little glimpse of it on Thursday with the fans and stuff like that.

"But it's an awesome atmosphere to showcase your talents. And I'm super ready for it."

Trust the process:It was a night to forget for the Steelers' defense in Cincinnati, so safety Juan Thornhill has done what's required in response.

He's forgotten all about it.

"It's over with," Thornhill insisted. "It's a new week, we're not even thinking about Cincinnati. You might look at the mistakes, the things that happened in the game. But for the most part, that's over with.

"With me, I forgot about that game. Time to move on."

Thornhill maintained his approach would be the same even if things had gone the Steelers' way against the Bengals.

"You gotta have a short memory playing in this league," he emphasized. "There's some guys, some players, some coaches, too, that once they lose they start trying to do too much, and then that's when bad things happen. But when you have a bunch of vets in our room like we have, we've played a lot of football, you can't just rise or fall off that past game. You just have to learn how to forget it. Once you watch the film on Monday, that's over with, it's time to move on.

"It's a week-to-week thing. If you prepare one week more than you do another, it's gonna show. You can't just show up one week just because you're playing against a certain opponent and think you're gonna put it all together and you played one great game and think it's gonna roll over into the next week. You gotta prepare each and every week the same way."

The Steelers' 33-31 loss on Oct. 16 in Cincinnati included the defense surrendering season-high totals in first downs (27), total net yards (470), net passing yards (328), and third-down conversions (7-for-14, 50 percent, tied with the 50 percent allowed on Sept. 7 against the Jets). The Bengals' 142 rushing yards surpassed what the Vikings and Browns had managed combined (135) against the Steelers.

Cincinnati's 33 points also topped the combined 30 the Steelers had given up In the Minnesota and Cleveland games.

That's one reason why Thornhill is approaching Sunday night's hosting of Green Bay with confidence and with faith in the process.

"Why would I put my head down?" he said. "We showed that we can play some good football once we're all on the same page, everybody doing their job instead of trying to do too much. When we do our job and don't try to do too much we play great football.

"Why would I put my head down on these guys or turn my back on these guys? I know what we're capable of, it's just doing the small things right."

-- Blog entry by Mike Prisuta

Wednesday, October 22

Business as usual:No matter whose locker you stood in front of on Wednesday, the question being asked was the same.

Do you notice a difference in Aaron Rodgers this week as he prepares to play the Green Bay Packers, the team he spent 18 seasons with?

The answer across the board has been simple.

"No," said receiver DK Metcalf. "He comes to work just like any other week."

And that is exactly what his teammates expect from him.

Rodgers is a true professional, someone who handles his business as expected.

And that is both on and off the field.

"Just his communication aspect," said Metcalf. "We have a player-led meeting on Thursdays where he's the head of the meeting. He does a lot of coaching up there. What he sees that we can do better.

"And everybody just listens to him and takes notes."

Metcalf said there is no extra urgency for the team to win this week because of Rodgers, and he wouldn't want it that way either.

"I mean, we try to do that every week, we step out there, so no," said Metcalf.

One thing Rodgers could have working in his favor on Sunday is a full complement of receivers with Calvin Austin III back in the mix after missing the last two games with a shoulder injury.

"Excited to see Calvin back out there," said Metcalf. "Just happy he got back healthy and looking forward to seeing him on Sunday.

"He's very fast, so it's another element the defense has got to scheme for and think about."

Austin's return gives the Steelers a group of speedy receivers, including Metcalf, Roman Wilson and Scotty Miller.

"It does incorporate an element that the defense has to scheme for, but also the defensive backs can't just sit and backpedal or hard press you up the line of scrimmage," said Metcalf. "They've got to worry about us running past them."

Trending in the right direction:There are a lot of trends in the NFL, but there is only one that truly matters.

And that is trending in the right direction.

That is exactly what the Steelers offense is doing.

Over the last four weeks, the offense has continued to establish themselves as one of the best in the NFL, and it all comes down to things they continually preach.

"I think the biggest thing is just execution," said tight end Pat Freiermuth. "I think everyone's starting to finally get on the same page, executing what we're assigned to do. And I think everyone on the offense is seeing the game the same way.

"So, we're actually at a high level right now."

What is the key to keeping it at that high level?

Again, something they continually preach.

"Just being on our details, especially in practice," said Freiermuth. "Seeing what 8 (quarterback Aaron Rodgers) wants us to do and all the run game fits and stuff like that.

"So, just be on the same page in practice."

Rodgers has been a key piece to the offense trending in the right direction, the veteran signal caller knowing his stuff like not many others in the league do.

And he shares that knowledge with his teammates, wanting everyone around him to benefit and continue to grow.

"It's been awesome every single day," said Freiermuth. "He's taking a lot of guys under his wing to get better and push guys to get better in all aspects.

"And he's meant a lot to me and the whole locker room as well."

What might mean a lot to Rodgers this week is going against the team he spent his first 18 seasons in the NFL with, the Green Bay Packers.

If it does, he isn't letting on.

"He's the same guy every single day regardless of who we're playing," said Freiermuth. "I would assume that all the guys in the locker room understand what it means to him."

Better together:The Steelers offense is a close unit, on display once again when quarterback Aaron Rodgers set things up for the offensive line and quarterbacks to attend the Penguins hockey game on Tuesday night.

It's a closeness that is seen off the field, while at the same time paying dividends on the field.

Rodgers wasn't sacked in either the Browns or Bengals game, something the line wants to make a habit as they take great pride in protecting their quarterback.

"We take pride in keeping Aaron clean," said McCormick. "That's our quarterback, and that's our job ultimately. We take pride in it, but it's a constant battle every week to be able to try to replicate."

The offense has put up 20 plus points in five out of six games this season, and the last few weeks have picked things up on the ground and in the air.

"I can't really point to one thing," said McCormick of the recent success the offense is having. "We do a lot of different stuff up front. We're just trying to get better every week.

"We're just trying to keep growing. We're a young group and we're going to keep climbing and keep working to get better."

And with Rodgers at the helm, it sure helps.

"He's such a competitor," said McCormick. "I like to think I am as well. It's fun to block for a guy that loves to compete like that.

"Some of the stuff he can do at the line is pretty cool. Some of the stuff that we can't see until he uncovers it. He does a tremendous job.

"It's super nice being able to block for such an experienced guy back there."

A lot of Rodgers experience came from his 18 seasons playing for the Green Bay Packers. This week he will be facing his former team, and he is treating it as business as usual.

"Aaron's a true pro," said McCormick. "He loves playing football, he loves to compete.

"I wouldn't say I see anything different out of him this week."

Staying steady:The Steelers will wear their 1933 Throwback Uniforms on Sunday night, but that won't be the only throwback taking place.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will have a throwback of his own, facing the team he played 18 seasons for in the Green Bay Packers.

Coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the 'reunion,' but is keeping that something more personal for Rodgers.

"Aaron has been at it a long time," said Tomlin, who said he didn't have a sense of the magnitude of the matchup for Rodgers. "He's got an awesome relationship with this game. Haven't been with him for a long time. He's been fired up every single week. I imagine it's going to be the same.

"I imagine some external things are going to make more out of it than it is for him. He's playing and playing to win. That's what he does. That's kind of my perspective on it."

Tomlin's perspective on Rodgers is one that has been nothing but good since he signed with the Steelers in June.

"I've been in this thing long enough you don't stumble into 20-plus years of service in this business," said Tomlin. "There's unique habits, unique relationships with the game of football. I anticipated that.

"It still doesn't make it less impressive, his day to day, what he's willing to do. He's been in the building all day. He loves it. It's who he is.

"He loves the process. He loves to talk ball. He loves to educate his teammates to get on the same page.

"He doesn't tire in terms of seeking resolution to issues. There's a lot of good things about him other than obviously his physical talents and skills that have been really impressive.

"As I mentioned, not that I'm shocked by it, but it's still highly appreciated."

Rodgers immediately stepped into a leadership role on and off the field, another thing that didn't surprise Tomlin.

"I just know too many people that have worked with him in other locations," said Tomlin. "I knew how his teammates felt about him in other places. Not shocked by that at all."

When 'Push' comes to shove:One of the things that went wrong in the Steelers' 33-31 loss in Cincinnati was a false start penalty assessed to guard Mason McCormick on an attempted "Tush Push" or "Brotherly Shove."

The Steelers resorted to their version of the Eagles' infamous rugby-scrum/short-yardage run on fourth-and-1 from the Bengals' 18-yard line with the Steelers leading, 7-0, early in the second quarter last Thursday night at Paycor Stadium.

Once the 5-yard penalty was assessed, head coach Mike Tomlin opted for a 41-yard field goal attempt by kicker Chris Boswell rather than trying to convert fourth-and-6 on the way to potentially scoring a touchdown. Boswell was successful in establishing a 10-0 advantage but had the fourth-and-1 been converted the lead may have grown to 14-0 at the conclusion of the possession.

"The false start on fourth-and-1 when we were in the red area was a four-point-like penalty," Tomlin observed this week. "In games like that you can't afford to have them."

The Steelers had successfully converted a third-and-1 from the Minnesota 41 on a direct snap to tight end Connor Heyward, who was assisted from behind by tight end Darnell Washington, with 5:37 left in the fourth quarter of their 24-21 victory over the Vikings on Sept. 28. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers observed from behind the formation with his hands on his hips before eventually signaling 'First Down."

"I think it's a good play," center Zach Frazier maintained. "We just gotta be perfect because there's so much eyes on it from stuff happening around the league and stuff like that. I think it's a great play for us. With Darnell back there it's hard to stop. I don't think people can really stop it when we execute it right."

The level of execution Frazier referenced shouldn't be too much to ask, in offensive tackle Troy Fautanu's estimation.

"I wouldn't say so, no, not really," he offered. "Obviously, had the penalty (in Cincinnati), moved a little early, I did, too, unfortunate. I kinda like the play, it's kinda fun."

It remains to be seen if the Steelers try such an approach again on Sunday night against Green Bay, the team with which Rodgers spent 18 seasons before joining the Jets and, eventually, the Steelers.

"He hasn't really talked about it," Frazier said of Rodgers playing against the team with which he had an almost a two-decade association. "I'm sure he's just gonna treat it like any other game.

"I haven't gotten the feeling that he's treating it any different. I feel like he's still approaching it the same way he does every week."

The same could be said of Rodgers' new teammates with the Steelers.

"We want to win every game, and especially this game because it's the next one," Frazier added. "But yeah, I think that would be pretty special to win that game for him, for sure."

-- Blog entry by Mike Prisuta

Monday, October 20

Starting to jell:There is nothing an offensive line wants more than to protect their quarterback, and the last two weeks the Steelers did just that.

Aaron Rodgers wasn't sacked in either the Browns or Bengals game, something the line wants to make a habit.

"We have to continue to keep him upright," said offensive tackle Broderick Jones. "I feel like the o-line did their job doing that last week. We just have to continue to trend in the right direction and keep him upright.

"We are definitely trending in the right direction. We have to keep growing and developing as a unit."

That growth is a direct result of the offense working together as one and continuing to become the unit they know they are capable of.

"It's us starting to jell," said Jones. "Being able to go against different defenses and not just bashing heads with our defense day in and day out. Being able to see different schemes and looks, knowing what to expect and not expect.

"You can anticipate what defenses want to do against us because everyone knows we want to run the ball first. People try to scheme around that. I feel like us playing as an offense against everyone else, we're starting to gel more, connect more as an offense."

And having Rogers as the glue sure doesn't hurt.

"With a young team like us, I feel like it gives us a boost of confidence just knowing that you've got No. 8 back there," said Jones. "He's calling the shots, making sure everybody is right. He's just a shot caller.

"It's a big help for me knowing he is back there. I know he is going to control what needs to be controlled on the field, what needs to be done. It gives me confidence to go out there and play."

Moving on:Linebacker Patrick Queen knows Thursday night's game against the Cincinnati Bengals wasn't the defensive performance the unit wanted.

But he also knows there is a huge challenge ahead.

Preparing for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football at Acrisure Stadium.

"I moved on already. It's in the past," said Queen. "You just have to get better from it.

"I think there is a lot of stuff we can learn, coaches and players. We have to prepare for the next one."

While preparing, though, Queen knows they have to take the lessons they learned in the loss with them.

"Everyone just honing in, doing their job," said Queen. "Regardless of what the play call is. Regardless of who you are going against. When you think of a professional, it's them doing their job with excellence.

"It's really simple. You just do your job the best you can."

Queen knows giving up 142 yards rushing and 342 passing, like they did against the Bengals, is not what this defense is about.

He also understands both teams come to play every week.

"It's the NFL," said Queen. "Sometimes it happens, even though you don't want it to. Sometimes it's ugly.

"At the end of the day, they get paid to play. Their coaches get paid to coach. We just have to make the plays.

"We have to go out there and execute better and try not to let those things happen.

"When the moment is there, make the play. Whatever it is, the opportunity, us as a whole, being better. From the small details, whatever it may be, just be better."

Turning the page:After admittedly emerging "(ticked) off" in the wake of a 33-31 loss in Cincinnati, defensive tackle and defensive co-captain Cameron Heyward maintained a similar demeanor today as the Steelers turned their attention to Green Bay.

"I don't think the mood's really changed," Heyward assessed. "The game happened Thursday, got the weekend off, trying to right the ship on Sunday."

The loss to the Bengals included the defense allowing the NFL's worst rushing offense to amass 142 yards on the ground on 23 carries, a 6.2 average per attempt.

The Bengals took the field against the Steelers last Thursday night at Paycor Stadium averaging 56.7 yards per game on the ground.

The Steelers had allowed a combined 135 yards rushing in their previous two games, victories over Minnesota and Cleveland.

Those performances suggest their sudden vulnerability defending the run against the Bengals might have been an outlier.

"It's gotta be but nothing is guaranteed," Heyward said. "You gotta go out there and make the proper adjustments.

"We gotta play with better technique."

The success the Bengals had on the ground against the Steelers set the table for success in the air. The problems against the run are correctable, Heyward maintained. But Heyward also emphasized it will be up to the defense to make the necessary corrections.

"To be good in this league you have to get off blocks but also maintain your gap," he said. "A couple times we can get a little thirsty and, you know, you pay the price.

"Communication has to be stressed here on out in practice to out of it to prepare for every situation. It's a process, it just has to keep growing."

Thirsting to make a play at the expense of gap integrity is a familiar conundrum up front. It's more fixable than getting blown off the ball, but it still has to be fixed.

"It can definitely be righted but we got work to do and we gotta attack it," Heyward said.

The hosting of the Packers on Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium includes an emotional component given quarterback Aaron Rodgers' 18-year history in Green Bay.

But to Heyward it's still just another game, and significant because it's the next one much more than because of who it's against.

"No different," he insisted. "Obviously, you want to win for Aaron but we want to play better football and we gotta to get this taste out of our mouth."

-- Blog entry by Mike Prisuta