PITTSBURGH — The Bengals’ Joe Burrow made things hard for the Steelers on Sunday. The quarterback got the ball out of his hands quickly and used his feet.
But when it mattered most, the Steelers defense was able to create a splash play that sealed the victory.
“As a defense, yes, we did. We got together, and we said, it’s going to be on us to win this game,” defensive lineman Derrick Harmon said.
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On a day when their offense put up 30 points, the Steelers defense took matters into their own hands to make the final play and get their first divisional win of the season.
“And all I see is a flash of, like, black jersey,” defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day recalled. “So I, and I see him run, Joe run this way. So I cover, and I just see DJ just sack him. Like I said, amazing play by DJ.”
While they’ve largely impressed through the first two weeks, Sunday was a little bit of a bend but not a break for Patrick Graham’s defense.
They allowed three touchdowns and more than 350 yards
“Still give up 27 points. So let’s not act like we shut them down,” defensive lineman Cam Heyward said. “You know, I think they made some good plays. They got good receivers out there. But, you know, I thought we made more plays. PQ had a lot of really good tackles. And there wasn’t a lot of like run after, which was great on our group. And when it came to the big plays, we made them.”
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And knowing the task at hand against the browns in just four days, this was a victory the group knew was crucial
“Huge, divisional opponent, obviously the first one of the year,” linebacker T.J. Watt said. “Hopefully gains momentum going up going here in Cleveland in a couple days.”
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