{"id":3210,"date":"2024-09-23T03:28:30","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T03:28:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.drinkfood.info\/?p=3210"},"modified":"2024-09-23T03:28:50","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T03:28:50","slug":"steelers-t-j-watt-sounds-off-on-nick-herbigs-breakout-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.drinkfood.info\/?p=3210","title":{"rendered":"Steelers\u2019 T.J. Watt Sounds Off on Nick Herbig\u2019s Breakout Performance.."},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\" class=\"wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"h-responsive\">\n<figure class=\"h-responsive__inner\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-featured-image size-featured-image wp-post-image\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/GettyImages-1815126908.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/GettyImages-1815126908.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/GettyImages-1815126908.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/GettyImages-1815126908.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Nick Herbig T.J. Watt\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" data-img-load-time=\"178\" data-dom-ready-time=\"236\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-credit\">Getty<\/span>Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt spoke highly of Nick Herbig after the second-year edge rusher posted his first multi-sack NFL performance in Week 3.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Linebacker\u00a0T.J. Watt\u00a0continued his hot start to the 2024 season with another sack in Week 3. But fellow edge rusher\u00a0Nick Herbig\u00a0came off the bench to star for the\u00a0Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0against the\u00a0Los Angeles Chargers\u00a0on September 22.<\/p>\n<p>Replacing an injured\u00a0Alex Highsmith, Herbig posted 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 2 quarterback hits and 3 solo tackles. Both of his sacks came in the second half, helping the Steelers hold the Chargers to negative yardage after halftime.<\/p>\n<p>It was the first multi-sack performance of Herbig\u2019s NFL career.<\/p>\n<p>Watt addressed Herbig\u2019s breakout day with the media after the Steelers defeated the Chargers 20-10.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot surprised, man. That kid works his tail off,\u201d\u00a0Watt said to reporters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat kid has supreme confidence in himself,\u201d\u00a0Watt continued when asked another question on Herbig. \u201cYou can\u2019t tell him anything, and I respect the heck out of it.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Justin Fields &amp; T.J. Watt Postgame Press Conference (Week 3 vs Chargers) | Pittsburgh Steelers\" width=\"790\" height=\"444\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u5HY4akc8sI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s going to everything he possibly can to perform. He\u2019s going to ask every question, he\u2019s going to turn over every stone, and bust his tail. I respect the heck out of Nick, and I\u2019m glad he had the day that he did today.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Nick Herbig, Second-Year Players Shining for Steelers Defense<\/h2>\n<p>The second season in the NFL can often be the time a lot of players make the biggest improvements in their career. That\u2019s certainly the case for a few Steelers defenders.<\/p>\n<p>Cornerback\u00a0Joey Porter Jr.\u00a0and\u00a0Keeanu Benton are becoming staples on Pittsburgh\u2019s defense. Benton helped the Steelers defensive line hold the Chargers, who had the No. 2 rushing offense after Week 2, to just 61 rushing yards on September 22.<\/p>\n<p>Unable to run the ball, the Steelers pass rush began to break through in the second half in Week 3. Pittsburgh sacked Chargers quarterbacks 5 times, all of which came after halftime.<\/p>\n<p>Porter was in coverage on the Chargers\u2019 lone touchdown of the day. But it was only the second passing touchdown the Steelers have allowed in three contests this season.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to Herbig, Watt addressed how strong all of the unit\u2019s second-year players are performing early in the 2024 campaign.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[Herbig], Keanu [Benton]. Just those second-year players, Joey [Porter]. You see the jump because you\u2019re so much more comfortable out there,\u201d\u00a0Watt said. \u201cYou\u2019re not just out there saying, \u2018I have curl-flat, disc drop.\u2019 It\u2019s like, \u2018Ok, I know what I have. Now I can hear. I can use all of my senses and diagnose what I think is potentially happening on this play.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s why I think you see that jump from those guys from Year 1 to Year 2. But, with that being said, it\u2019s because they want to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Herbig received his chance to play after Highsmith left with a groin injury late in the second quarter.\u00a0The Steelers listed him doubtful to return at halftime.<\/p>\n<p>On Los Angeles\u2019 second play from scrimmage of the second half,\u00a0Herbig sacked\u00a0Justin Herbert\u00a0and knocked the ball loose. The Chargers recovered the fumble, but the play helped result in a Los Angeles punt.<\/p>\n<p>Herbig recorded his second sack on backup quarterback\u00a0Taylor Heinicke\u00a0about midway through the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Alex Highsmith Suffers Injury Against Chargers<\/h2>\n<p>The seriousness of Highsmith\u2019s groin injury is not clear. But it\u2019s not usually a good sign when players are doubtful to return immediately after departing.<\/p>\n<p>The Steelers, though, appear capable of overcoming a Highsmith injury with Herbig as their No. 3 edge rusher.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to reporters after Week 3, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin agreed with Watt, crediting Herbig\u2019s development to his studying and working with Pittsburgh\u2019s starting edge rushers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis guy wants to be great, but he\u2019s looking at the recipe every day of his life too,\u201d\u00a0Tomlin said. \u201cHe just does. He\u2019s sharp enough to follow guys at his position that have been doing it at a high level who have been doing it longer than him, and I think that positions him more than anything to produce what it is you\u2019re looking at.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to Highsmith, cornerback\u00a0Cory Trice\u00a0exited the first half with a hamstring injury. Wide receiver\u00a0Van Jefferson\u00a0was poked in the eye but returned to action in the second half.<\/p>\n<p>Tomlin also told reporters\u00a0he pulled running back\u00a0Jaylen Warren\u00a0from the game late in the fourth quarter because it didn\u2019t look like he was running smoothly. The Steelers will have a more thorough injury update on September 24.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>GettyPittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt spoke highly of Nick Herbig after the second-year edge rusher posted his first multi-sack NFL performance in Week 3. Linebacker\u00a0T.J. Watt\u00a0continued&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Steelers\u2019 T.J. Watt Sounds Off on Nick Herbig\u2019s Breakout Performance.. - Sport News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.drinkfood.info\/?p=3210\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Steelers\u2019 T.J. 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