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NFL announces Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl selections

Wade-Peeryby:Wade Peery•12/22/21
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(Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been watching the Steelers’ defense this year that they had two Pro Bowl selections, linebacker TJ Watt and defensive tackle Cameron Heyward.

Watt led all edge rushers in the fan portion of the voting, eclipsing 237,000 votes. That was the seventh most of any player in the National Football League for the 2021 season. He’s had a historic season and set the franchise record recently with 17.5 sacks. Despite missing a few games due to injury, he’s still been an unblockable and incredibly dominant force.

Watt is one of the favorites to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. This is his third selection to the Pro Bowl in five seasons in the league.

Heyward is having the best year of his remarkable Steelers’ career. In 14 starts, he has seven sacks, the second most on the team. He’s also racked up 13 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for loss, and 73 overall tackles. It will be Heyward’s fifth Pro Bowl appearance in the past five years.

The 2022 Pro Bowl will take place Sunday, February 6th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kickoff is set for 3:00 PM EST.

The Steelers defense won the turnover battle in a big way

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense once again showed out against the Tennessee Titans in the turnover department. They pounded and pummeled Titans’ quarterback Ryan Tannehill for much of the game in the 19-13 win. They forced four turnovers that ended up being the difference in a very close game.

The four turnovers were huge but they were still gashed on the ground for 201 rushing yards, which Steelers’ players admitted were far too many. They’re going to need to tighten up the run defense if they wish to contend for a playoff spot.

One huge play came by Steelers’ defensive back Joe Haden, who stonewalled Titans’ wide receiver Nick Westbrook Ikhine. On fourth down, Haden drilled the Titans’ wide receiver a yard short of the first down with 34 seconds remaining, sealing the win for the Steelers.

For the whole game, Haden racked up two tackles and a fumble recovery. Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin praised his leadership skills and ability to battle adversity in the postgame. “It’s not just his playmaking,” said Tomlin of Haden’s impact for the team. “It’s the presence that he brings. He’s got leadership skills. He’s got great experience. He smiles in the face of adversity. That’s contagious.”

Pittsburgh faces Kansas City next on Dec. 26. Kickoff is slated for 4:25 p.m. EST.