T.J. Watt got paid to make plays as he did on Sunday.
The edge rusher helped save the day for Pittsburgh, making a strip-sack in overtime that led to Chris Boswell’s walk-off 37-yard field goal for a 23-20 victory on Sunday Night Football.
While Seattle won the OT coin toss and gained plenty of yards on the opening drive, Watt sacked quarterback Geno Smith for a 13-yard loss on third-and-4 from the Pittsburgh 45. That forced a punt.
Then after the Steelers punted it back, Watt sacked Smith again, this time forcing a fumble that linebacker Devin Bush recovered. A few plays later, Boswell sent the ball through the uprights to even Pittsburgh’s record at 3-3.
Starting his first game since 2017 with Russell Wilson on injured reserve, Smith finished 23-of-32 passing for 209 yards with a touchdown. He did not perform well in the first half but was able to heat up in the second to give Seattle a chance to win.
He was especially key on the Seahawks’ last drive of regulation — which continued Seattle’s tendency to play weird games. Smith hit receiver D.K. Metcalf on the left with a 12-yard pass, but cornerback James Pierre punched the ball out Peanut Tillman style, giving Pittsburgh a chance to win the game with a recovery. Receiver Freddie Swain jumped on the loose ball instead, sprinting to midfield so Seattle could spike it.
But the officials stopped the play to review Metcalf’s catch, perhaps to review whether he stepped out of bounds. Metcalf did not, as the ruling on the field stood as called. With Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin livid on the sideline, the Seahawks had three seconds to execute a spike and did so. Jason Myers then connected from 43-yards out to put the game in extra time.
On the other side, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger finished 29-of-40 for 229 yards with a touchdown. Deontae Johnson had nine catches for 71 yards. And running back Najee Harris had over 100 yards from scrimmage again, with 81 rushing and 46 receiving, plus a receiving touchdown.
And defensively, Watt made a good case for AFC defensive player of the week with 1.0 sacks, three tackles for loss, three passes defensed, and a forced fumble.
The game did have a scary moment when Seattle’s Darrell Taylor had to be carted off the field on a stretcher late in the fourth quarter. Taylor had smashed his helmet into the side of teammate Al Woods when trying to tackle Harris on a run play. Fortunately, the Seahawks told NBC’s Michelle Tafoya that Taylor has all use of his extremities after being transported to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for further examination.
Now at 3-3, the Steelers have their bye next week.
At 2-4 in the tough NFC West, the Seahawks will take on the Saints on Monday night in Week Seven.