Steelers LBs Share Special Moment in Win Over Browns

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt wanted his running mate to have the ball. Watt thought Alex Highsmith had earned it more than he did. Highsmith refused over and over before eventually relenting and accepting the spoils of their shared victory.

Highsmith sacked and forced a fumble from Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson and Watt scooped up the loose ball, taking it 16 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with 7:06 left in regulation. The Steelers' two outstanding pass rushers combined to create the biggest play of a chaotic 26-22 victory on Monday Night Football and neither was willing to take the credit for it.

"I tried to give him the ball for the sack-fumble because, how I see it, I was just in the right place at the right time and scooped it up," Watt said. "Alex played phenomenal tonight."

Highsmith was the catalyst for 14 crucial points for the Steelers in their victory, bookending the night with not just the forced fumble on the game-winning touchdown, but a pick-six on Watson's first pass of the game as well.

It was a coming out party in front of a national television audience for Highsmith, who is fresh off of signing a four-year, $68 million contract extension and is proving that he is worth every penny.

Watt gushed about Highsmith's growth and the joy he gets from playing alongside another dominant pass-rusher in the Steelers' defense.

"The guy has so many fantastic pass-rush moves and he can defend the run so well that we just really feed off each other." Watt said. "We're just happy when the other person makes a play. It's never a slight. I'm never upset when he makes the sack."

Watt set the Steelers' all-time sack record with a first-half hit on Watson but still took most of his postgame press conference to praise Highsmith. One is a surefire superstar and the other is still young and coming into his own but they see each other as equals and the deep respect goes both ways.

"He's the best at what he does and he shows that every week," Highsmith said. "It's week after week, doing what he does, it's no secret because he works his butt off and being able to go to war with a guy like that is a blessing."

Watt reaffirmed what the Steelers did when they inked Highsmith to his new, lucrative extension - that this duo will be terrorizing quarterbacks in Pittsburgh together for a long time.

"Hopefully there's many more [moments] to come," Watt said. "I'm just so happy to be able to play with a guy that loves the game so much. And that's not taking away from any other guys I've played with - everyone loves the game - but it's so cool to see his progression and his hunger."

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