Pittsburgh Review

The New York Giants' oversight during a crucial moment against the Pittsburgh Steelers led to a game-defining play by T.J. Watt on October 28 at Acrisure Stadium. With less than three minutes left in regulation, Watt sacked Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, forced a fumble, and recovered it, effectively sealing a 26-18 victory for the Steelers.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll reflected on the error: "He was supposed to be chipped." Jones admitted his mistake of not repositioning tight end Theo Johnson pre-snap, which left right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor without expected support. "Needed to shift Theo," Jones stated. "I didn't shift him... that's my fault."

Prior to this, the Giants had regained possession after recovering a fumble by Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson with over four minutes remaining. However, their drive stalled largely due to Watt's consecutive defensive plays.

On second-and-8 from the Steelers' 20-yard line, Jones attempted a scramble but was tackled by Watt after gaining only one yard. ESPN's Joe Buck commented on the play: "T.J. Watt reaching for the feet of Daniel Jones just saved a big play." Troy Aikman added that Watt maintained awareness of Jones throughout the rush.

Watt's decisive sack came on third-and-7 when he faced Eluemunor alone. Fellow linebacker Alex Highsmith anticipated the outcome: "I saw (Watt) 1-on-1 with (Eluemunor), he's about to make a play... That's why he's the best in the world."

This performance underscored why Watt is among five finalists for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. His Monday Night Football stats included two sacks, seven tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and a pivotal forced fumble and recovery.

Despite his impact, Watt emphasized team effort: "It's not possible without scheme... We've done a good job schematically of trying to create those 1-on-1s along with the backend covering just long enough and the guys up front also chewing up blockers."