Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt addressed the defense missing a late opportunity to recover a fumble during their loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Steelers defense was backed up at their own 1-yard line with a 4-point lead late in the game. Linebacker Elandon Roberts broke through the line and hit Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle, forcing a fumble.
The Steelers had a chance to secure the win with a fourth takeaway, but Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott recovered the ball.
Despite the 3-yard loss, Prescott later connected with Jalen Tolbert for the game-winning touchdown.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was disappointed that his defense couldn’t recover Dowdle’s fumble in the final minute. However, T.J. Watt didn’t dwell on the missed opportunity as much as Tomlin did.
“These games are so close. It can be one play here or there, but it’s a collection of work that we need to review,” Watt said after the game. “It wasn’t just one play tonight.”
The Steelers defense had both strong and weak moments in Week 5 against Dallas. They forced three turnovers and allowed just one touchdown on four red zone attempts.
However, the Cowboys racked up 445 yards and converted 9 of 15 third-down attempts.
Steelers Fall Just Short of a Huge Defensive Play
Pittsburgh’s defense resembled last year’s unit more than what was seen in the first three games this season. The Cowboys moved the ball well, but the Steelers stopped them from scoring for much of the game.
Pittsburgh had two red zone takeaways in the first half, keeping the game close by halftime. In the third quarter, they blocked a Dallas field goal attempt.
Had the Steelers recovered Roberts’ forced fumble, it would have been the third red zone takeaway and likely secured the victory.
“There’s a fine line between success and failure in our business,” said head coach Mike Tomlin. “That ball is right there in the red area, and that’s the difference.”
Both Watt and Tomlin’s perspectives are valid. A single play can change an NFL game and its narratives.
But regardless of the missed fumble recovery, the Steelers arguably didn’t play well enough to beat Dallas.
Dallas nearly doubled Pittsburgh’s total yardage 445-226, including 202 more passing yards.
The Cowboys also had three times as many third-down conversions (9 versus 3).
T.J. Watt Makes History Against Cowboys
Watt couldn’t make a game-changing play on the final drive. However, without Watt, the Steelers wouldn’t have been in position to win, despite being outgained by 219 yards.
Watt’s first sack of the game caused a fumble, which was the Steelers’ first red zone takeaway. It also marked Watt’s 100th career sack.
Watt became the second-fastest player to reach 100 career sacks.
He finished the game with 1.5 sacks, 1 tackle for loss, 3 quarterback hits, and 8 total tackles, including 7 solo stops.
Still, Watt wasn’t focused on personal milestones after the game.
“This year, it’s not about individual accolades,” Watt said. “It’s about winning. We didn’t do enough to get it done tonight.”
