T.J. Watt brought down his lucky seventh interception in his seventh season in Week 7. Pretty darn great, right? For Watt, though, it could’ve been even better.
He told Steelers Wire how it all went down on the first play of the third quarter against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.
“Just dropping into coverage, trying to be as visual as possible and having my eyes on the quarterback and understanding that as the quarterback’s looking away, he’s eventually, if he doesn’t throw the ball, he’s going to try to deliver back across the field.”
Watt was tracking Stafford’s every movement.
“I was starting to work my way back toward his progression, and it just started. He threw the ball right as I was breaking on the ball and was able to catch it in stride,” Watt said.
TRENT JORDAN WATT WITH THE INT 🙌
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/T87FSng3KS pic.twitter.com/4kyrrtYOfP
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 22, 2023
Watt’s goal is to make it easier on Kenny Pickett and the Steelers offense by stopping their opponent in any way possible. But it would’ve been pretty sweet if he’d put six on the board.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it to the end zone,” he said,” but I’m glad we turned it into seven points.”
It’s been several years since Watt had set up blockers, and he expected Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua to go in a different direction.
“It’s of those things where I haven’t really set up blockers in a long time … since my tight end days in college,” Watt said. “I thought Puka was going to cut back inside, so I went back outside looking at the film yesterday. I was kicking myself for not just going right down the middle and trying to make it, but maybe I have to practice it a little bit more.”
Watt did return the pick 24 yards, setting Pittsburgh up nicely at the 6-yard line.
It took three plays to do it, but eventually Pickett cashed in with a rushing touchdown, the Steelers’ first of the season. Their second and third came in the fourth quarter via Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris.
