T.J. Watt has one of the most impressive resumes in Pittsburgh Steelers history, yet the superstar outside linebacker accepts what the absence of a playoff victory means to his legacy.
Even as he’s one of the game’s most dominant defenders — a seven-time Pro Bowl and four-time All-Pro pick who was the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and owns the franchise record with 108 sacks — Watt knows his lack of postseason success is what separates him from the Steelers greats who played on their six Super Bowl champions.
“I say all the time that there’s a big difference between guys that come back that are Super Bowl champions and guys that aren’t,” Watt said Thursday afternoon at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “That’s not a slight at the guys who aren’t — I’m one of those guys right now — but there’s definitely an aura and a sense to a guy that has won a Super Bowl. There’s a togetherness, a close-knit group of guys that when they come back for those alumni weekends, they hang out and they bond and they talk about their successes on and off the field and that Super Bowl run. We want that. Every guy in here wants that.”
It was only the beginning of an introspective answer from the 30-year-old Watt, an eight-year NFL veteran who hates that he’s on the outside looking in when it comes to the club of Steelers to touch the Lombardi Trophy in a celebration of confetti. He’s not alone on a franchise that hasn’t won a Super Bowl since 2009 and hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016 under coach Mike Tomlin.
“Don’t confuse any of this lack of success for lack of effort,” Watt said. “Everybody’s trying. We’re turning over every stone we possibly can to be great. We want to be great. We just need to do it together. That’s not saying we haven’t. We just need to do everything collectively and play complementary football when the time matters most. There’s definitely a sense of urgency because this is the playoffs in the National Football League. This is what everybody plays the game for.”
The Steelers (10-7) hope to snap a seven-year streak without a playoff win when they play the Baltimore Ravens (12-5) on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium in an AFC wild-card playoff game. The teams split their season series, with an 18-16 Steelers victory Nov. 17, and the Ravens winning, 34-17, on Dec. 21. Watt took exception to the suggestion that playing AFC North nemesis adds to their motivation.
“You can’t add juice. You really can’t. If you don’t get up for these games, then I don’t know what you’re doing,” Watt said. “It’s a huge game because we’re in it. Obviously, the Ravens are a divisional opponent. It’s great that we have two games to look at for film, just to see those intimate relationships that Mike T always talks about.”
Watt emphasized the need to stop the run and be opportunistic when it comes to causing turnovers. Not only are the Steelers riding a four-game losing streak into the postseason — three by double-digit deficits — but Watt has three consecutive games without a sack in that span.
He has six forced fumbles this season, with another strip-sack in the season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals negated by penalty. When it comes to opportunity, Watt welcomes his chance to play in the postseason again after suffering a knee injury in the 2023 finale that kept him out of the 31-17 loss at the Buffalo Bills in the wild card last year.
In three career postseason games, Watt has eight tackles (six solo), including three for losses, with five quarterback hits, one sack and a fumble recovery that he returned for a 26-yard touchdown. Only fueling his fire is the Steelers have allowed an average of 45 points in those three games: a 45-42 loss to Jacksonville in 2018, a 48-37 loss to Cleveland in 2021 and a 42-21 loss at Kansas City in 2022.
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin doesn’t want Watt or safety Minkah Fitzpatrick — who also hasn’t won a playoff game with the Steelers — to put any more pressure on themselves.
“Their goal is just to play ball the way they play ball and to not take on anything extra,” Austin said. “It’s our job to give them the plan to go out and do it. So I don’t want guys thinking they have to do all this and they have to do extra. I want them to go play ball the way they know how to play ball and trust us to give them a plan that will help them succeed.”
For Watt, success can only be defined by a Steelers playoff victory.
“It is what it is. It’s my story,” Watt said. “Since I’ve been here, I haven’t won a playoff game. I’ve been saying it this whole season. You guys know how important this is to me.”