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Steelers Hits of the Week: T.J. Watt vs Drake Maye

Originally posted on Steel City Underground | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 9:10 AM ET

Steel City Underground hand selects the ‘Steelers Hit of the Week’, a bigtime play that shook the opponents, following every game of the 2025 NFL regular season for fans to relive.

In Week 3 of the 2025 NFL regular season, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense created several opportunities for this game against the New England Patriots to have become a blowout. Although there were still struggles, the defense did improve in taking advantage of miscues and mistakes made by a Patriots offense that won the time of possession game. While we had a handful of plays to choose from, T.J. Watt‘s two sacks on Patriots quarterback Drake Maye rose to the top of our hit list this week.

Watt entered the contest on a sackless streak that stretched back into last season. On Sunday, Watt looked reenergized on the left edge. Despite teams accounting for him, including New England, Watt was actively seeking the ball and setting up opportunities to get into the offensive backfield.

Watt’s first sack came in the second quarter after what initially looked like a Chuck Clark interception of Drake Maye was ruled an incomplete pass. On 2nd & 6 at the PIT 48, Watt was able to corral Maye for a loss of seven yards.

Thanks to a heads-up play by Jabrill Peppers on a third quarter play, Watt was able to recover the forced fumble. And, Watt recovered another fumble when fellow linebacker Nick Herbig got home, stripping Maye, in the fourth quarter.

We’ll take that

: #PITvsNE on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/d1b2EhI2A1

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 21, 2025

Ahead 21-14, the Steelers defense was asked to finish the game strong and keep the Patriots out of the end zone late in the fourth quarter. On 1st & 10 at the PIT 37, Maye took the snap from shotgun and Watt undercut his blocker. With forward pressure being applied by Cameron Heyward, Watt was able to bring Maye down from behind for a loss of 3 and the down.

T.J. Watt and the Steelers defense had quite the day with 5 sacks (2 by Watt), 4 fumble recoveries, 1 interception and 1 near-interception against the Patriots pic.twitter.com/HNa494TXOW

— Christina Rivers (@3Rivers_Writer) September 21, 2025

Three plays later, the Steelers defense forced the turnover on downs when Brandin Echols stopped Demario Douglas for a negative pass play. That allowed the offense to take the victory formation for the win.