Steelers’ Nick Herbig Fires Message Ahead of Bills Playoff Matchup
The formal exclusion of T.J. Watt from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills by head coach Mike Tomlin severely hurt the team’s chances of being the first No. 7 seed to win an NFL playoff game. The Steelers, however, have a lot of faith in their depth at edge rusher, which includes rookie Nick Herbig, unlike in previous seasons.
In an interview with reporters on January 10, Herbig talked about his self-confidence.
Through Steelers Now’s Nick Farabaugh, Herbig told the reporters, “It just comes down to preparation and hard work.” “You will witness the culmination of the planning and diligence when the lights go on.”
As a rookie, Herbig mostly played on special teams. However, he had a strong preseason and began to play more defensive snaps in December.
In the absence of Watt, the Steelers will rely on Herbig and seasoned edge rusher Marcus Golden to put pressure on Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
It’s time for Steelers’ Nick Herbig to “Step Up.”
Watt can never be replaced.With 19 sacks in 2023, he led the NFL in sacks for the third time in four seasons. In addition, he recorded eight pass defenses, four forced fumbles, an interception, ninety-nine quarterback hits, and 19 tackles for loss.
Nonetheless, the Steelers added depth along the edge in the spring and summer of last year after Watt was out for seven games. Pittsburgh picked Herbig in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
On January 9, Tomlin informed reporters, “We’re as deep at that position as we’ve been in some time.” “We find the depth to be satisfactory.”
Herbig suggested he feels that support.
“I think they believe in me, which I appreciate,” Herbig said, via Farabaugh. “And a lot of guys are telling me that it’s my time to step up and believe in me.
“You know, T.J. is telling me he believes in me. So, just having that support from those guys, my coaches, I’m just excited.”
Herbig played in every one of the Steelers’ 17 games this season, but in December he began to play a lot more defense. In Week 14 against the New England Patriots, he lined up for a season-high 45 defensive snaps after Watt was hit in the head on the game’s first drive.
Against New England, Herbig recorded a total of 7 tackles, including 1 tackle for loss.
Herbig averaged 10.75 defensive snaps per game over the last four weeks. In those games, he totaled six tackles and one sack. In Week 17, he was involved in a forced fumble and a fumble recovery against the Seattle Seahawks.
Steelers Also Have Markus Golden to Help Replace T.J. Watt
Herbig won’t have to replace Watt alone. In addition to Herbig, the Steelers added Golden this past offseason to give the defense more edge rushing depth.
Golden registered 11 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hits for the Arizona Cardinals just two seasons ago. He has posted three double-digit sack campaigns in his career.
This season, Golden recorded 4 sacks, 6 tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits in 16 games.
In Week 18, the 32-year-old had arguably his best game of the season. Against the Baltimore Ravens, he posted 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble.
Without Watt, the Steelers will need that kind of impact again on January 14 to defeat the Bills on the road.
At the very least, the Steelers would like Herbig and Golden to pose enough of a threat that fellow edge rusher Alex Highsmith will see some one-on-one opportunities on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage.
