Steelers notes: Nick Herbig, DeMarvin Leal injured; T.J. Watt surpasses 100 sacks

With the game on the line in the closing minutes and the opponent in obvious passing situations, the Pittsburgh Steelers were down to their fifth-string edge pass rusher — and had no one in reserve.

After going into Sunday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys without a starting outside linebacker in Alex Highsmith (groin), the Steelers lost two more at the position during it. Fill-in starter Nick Herbig suffered a hamstring injury during the third quarter and did not return.

Another player pressed into duty at outside linebacker — purported defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal — suffered a neck injury early in the fourth quarter and did not return.

That left T.J. Watt and Jeremiah Moon as the last men standing at edge defender for the Steelers. Moon was playing in his ninth career game and first with the Steelers. Acquired off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens in January, Moon opened the season on injured reserve and just was cleared to practice this week.

“He’s prepared really well since he’s been here,” Watt said of Moon. “It’s a next-man-up mentality. It always has been.”

Dallas won 20-17 on a touchdown pass with 20 seconds left in regulation.

Coach Mike Tomlin did not offer any substantive update on the condition of either during his postgame remarks other than to say Leal was “being evaluated.”

Making his second career start, Herbig shared a strip sack with Watt and was credited for the recovered fumble.

100-Watt

The combined Watt/Herbig sack came on the final play of the first quarter. It was a meaningful half-sack for Watt because it gave him 100 for his career.

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After the defeat, Watt was not overly expansive in discussing the milestone.

“It’s not about individual accolades; it’s about wanting to win,” he said. “And tonight we didn’t do enough to get it done.”

Watt, who had another sack of Dak Prescott later in the game, reached 100 sacks in his 109^th career game and at 29 years, 361 days old. Only one player in NFL history reached 100 in fewer games — Hall of Famer Reggie White, 96. Former Cowboys star DeMarcus Ware (113 games) was the previous second-fastest.

Since the sack became an official NFL statistic in 1982, the only players with more before turning 30 are White (108) and Jared Allen (105).

Dump-offs

Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward appeared in his 199^th career game — all for the Steelers. It was his 164^th start, tied with former teammate Casey Hampton for the third most among defensive players in franchise history. Only Hall of Famers Mel Blount (189) and Joe Greene (172) have started more games on defense for the Steelers. …. Justin Fields did not throw an interception. The Steelers had won 20 of their previous 24 games in which their starting quarterback did not have an interception. … The Steelers had won 11 of their prior 13 games in which they scored at least 17 points. … Pat Freiermuth had three catches for 22 yards and a touchdown. He was the only tight end in the league to have at least four receptions in each of the first four games.