Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt was held to just two pressures and a half a sack on 36 pass rushes in Thursday night's 33-31 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals . It was his lowest pressure rate (5.4%) in any game this season, according to Next Gen Stats .
To say the least, it was a no-show performance by Watt.
Former NFL running back LeSean McCoy thought Watt wasn't even active for Thursday night's game. That's how bad it was.
"In the fourth quarter I made a call to the police. Has anybody found T.J.? Did he play today? McCoy said on Speakeasy . "You got a 40-year-old quarterback in the backfield that can't move a lick, and I see no pressure. T.J. Watt, you made a big deal about getting paid this offseason and you ain't played at all today."
The Bengals were averaging 68.9 rushing yards per game entering the Thursday night clash, the fewest in the NFL. Chase Brown 's 108 rushing yards were more than double what he had in any other game through the first six weeks. He averaged 9.8 yards per carry against the Steelers .
"Just not playing gap-stop football," Watt said of the rush defense's failures. "Obviously, we'll have to look at the tape. It felt like the run scheme we had this game was going to be effective. I think it's going to come down to, when we look at the film, just guys getting out gap."
Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 16, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
For the second straight game the defense wasn't able to force any turnovers.
"We pride ourselves on getting that splash," Watt said. "I don't think we have last week, and we have not this week. If you're not stopping the run and getting off the field, and then not creating turnovers, you're in a whole world of hurt."
Watt chalked up the defensive performance as an absolute debacle.
"Seemed like everything. It was an absolutely unacceptable performance from us on the defensive side of the ball," he said.
Alan Saunders and Brendan Howe provided reporting from Cincinnati.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Former All-Pro RB Rips T.J. Watt for Silent Performance vs. Bengals: 'Did He Play Today?'
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