The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has the Wisconsin football program to thank for its immense success.
Former Badgers on the unit are T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig, Keeanu Benton and Isaiahh Loudermilk. The group put together a statement performance in the Steelers’ narrow 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
Watt finished with eight tackles, 1 1/2 sacks, one tackle for loss and three quarterback hits. Herbig recorded two tackles, 1/2 sack, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Benton had a tackle, a pass deflection and a quarterback hit. Loudermilk, finally, blocked a Cowboys field goal.
There were many highlights of the night. One should mean the most to Badgers fans: Watt and Herbig, two program-great pass-rushers from entirely different eras, combined on a sack and forced fumble on Cowboys QB Dak Prescott:
.@nickherbig_ and @_TJWatt combine to force the turnover! 😤💪#NFLBadgers x #HereWeGo
(🎥 via NFL) pic.twitter.com/5TIoadgUt7
— NFL Badgers (@NFLBadgers) October 7, 2024
Herbig was always compared to Watt as he ascended to stardom at Wisconsin. The two superstars actually put up similar numbers in their final collegiate seasons:
- Nick Herbig 2022: 47 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, two pass deflections, two forced fumbles
- T.J. Watt 2016: 63 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, one interception, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles
Watt has since gone on to become one of the most prolific pass-rushers in NFL history — his 1.5 sacks on Sunday night made him the second-fastest player ever to reach 100 sacks.
Herbig, meanwhile, is only in year two in the NFL after being selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft. His rookie season included 27 tackles, 3.0 sacks, five tackles, three quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. Those numbers are all trending even better through the first five games of 2024.
The comparison between the two will only continue if Herbig can ascend to NFL stardom. They have similar games, they wear the same NFL uniform and now, they’re even combining on sack-fumbles.
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