The Steelers' salary-cap investment in T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cam Heyward this season on the NFL's most expensive defense totals almost $50 million. The three stars earned their hefty checks on Christmas Eve. They didn't just lead the team to 13-10 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. Their performance made you wonder if the Steelers would be a playoff team if Watt had been healthy all season instead of just another team with a mediocre 7-8 record.
You remember how dominant the defense was in the opening game in Cincinnati, the only game in which Watt was healthy. It sacked Joe Burrow seven times and forced five turnovers, including four interceptions by Burrow. The Steelers won, 23-20, in overtime.
You also remember what happened in the next seven games that Watt missed after he tore a pectoral muscle late in that Cincinnati game. The Steelers went 1-6. During Watt's career, they are 1-10 when he doesn't play and 54-24-2 when he does.
Watt looked to be his healthiest Saturday night since returning to the lineup for the ninth game and promptly having to deal with a new rib injury. He had a quarterback hit, a pass defended and a tackle for a loss, saying afterward, "I'm definitely getting there. Definitely getting there."
Fitzpatrick intercepted a Derek Carr pass midway through the third quarter after the Raiders had moved into Steelers territory with a 10-3 lead. That was one of three interceptions by the defense, the others coming from Arthur Maulet and Cam Sutton.
Heyward was the best player on the field the whole frigid night. He added to the emotion of the evening by running on the field during the pregame introductions carrying a flag with number 32 on it in honor of the late, great Franco Harris. He made the Raiders pay for his passion with seven tackles, two sacks, two quarterback hits, a pass defended and three tackles for losses.
After the game, in one of the more poignant scenes of a very poignant night, Heyward shared an emotional embrace with Mike Tomlin.
"He played his ass off. He does every week," Watt said of Heyward. "It seemed like his production was crazy. He was in the backfield every single play."
A couple of other Steelers defensive players who are up for a big contract contributed to the win. Alex Highsmith picked up his 12th sack and should be going to the Pro Bowl instead of Watt. Sutton's interception iced — literally — the win with 29 seconds left.
This is how suffocating the defense was after the Raiders opened the game with a 14-play, 72-yard touchdown drive that included five carries for 26 yards by NFL leading rusher Josh Jacobs:
It allowed the Raiders just 3 points and 129 yards the rest of the way, including 18 yards on 10 carries by Jacobs.
"Let's be honest, we've been pretty clear that if we were going to do something in this season that they had to play like that," Tomlin said of his defense. "They're the most senior group. They've got the more established players. So, not that we don't appreciate it, but it's expected. I think they expect it of themselves."
The Steelers defense had its awful moments this season even with Watt. Its performance in a 16-14 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 11 was most egregious. It collapsed on the final two drives, allowing the Ravens, with third-string quarterback Anthony Brown, to use a 13-play drive that lasted 7:55 to take a 16-7 lead and then to run out the final 2:30 of the game. The Ravens ran for 215 yards that day.
It also seems clear that, even with a healthy Watt, the Steelers would have lost to Buffalo and Philadelphia. They are not on the same level as those teams. They are not even close, actually.
But it's fair to think the Steelers' record would be significantly better if they had had a healthy Watt. Losses to New England, Cleveland, the New York Jets and Miami easily could have been wins.
Could have, should have, right?
That question will haunt the Steelers during the off-season after they miss the playoffs for the third time in five years and extend their woeful streak without a postseason win to six seasons.
Not that it was on the mind of anyone in the Steelers locker room late on Christmas Eve after the team did its part to honor Harris, just a few days after his shocking death.
"Surreal to be a part of it," Sutton said. "Obviously, the magnitude of everything going on.
"This is bigger than us."
