Steelers’ T.J. Watt, Atmosphere Present Challenge For Giants

The New York Giants are fully aware that they will have their hands full when they descend upon Acrisure Stadium to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8.

With a Monday Night Football showdown on deck, Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke referenced the Steelers’ rich history and the different obstacles that they present to an opponent.

“They have a great history, a great culture in that organization, and a lot of pride,” Okereke said. “Their fans bring it every game. That black and yellow, you really feel it on game day. So, just understand you’re going into a hostile environment. Understanding they want to play old school football. Play great defense, run the football, and take care of it. So, we’ll have a great challenge ahead of us. Got to create turnovers and got to stop the run.”

Under head coach Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh owns a 20-3 record on Monday nights while being a perfect 10-0 at home. The team is coming off of its first primetime victory of the season in a 37-15 drubbing of the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football in Week 7.

New York offensive guard Jon Runyan Jr. expanded on the ways in which the Steelers’ home crowd can influence the game while also stating that the Giants are amped up for the challenge that it will present.

“It’s going to be a great environment Monday night in Pittsburgh,” Runyan said. “I know Pittsburgh’s a huge football city and Monday night, fourth quarter when they start playing their music and the towels start being waved it’s going to be an awesome environment. I’m looking forward to it. I’m sure it’s going to be really loud. I feel like that’s one of the environments that we thrive in. We’ve played in some tough environments so far already this year and I know the guys are going to be excited and geared up for this one.”

The Giants head into the contest with a 2-5 record after taking a 28-3 loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday. Their two victories have both come on the road against the Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks in Weeks 3 and 5, respectively.

New York’s offense falls among the worst in the league this season, averaging 290.7 yards and 14.1 points per game, which doesn’t present a particularly favorable matchup against a Pittsburgh defense that’s consistently proved its brilliance.

Throughout the week, the Giants mentioned Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt ad nauseam.

The 30-year-old former Defensive Player of the Year has 16 pressures and 4.5 sacks on the year. With New York in danger of having neither of their starting tackles healthy, quarterback Daniel Jones is taking extra precautions to ensure he knows where Watt is at all times.

“Obviously, he’s a good player and I’ll be aware of where he is,” Jones said. “As a quarterback, I think my job is to feel the pocket, move in the pocket and get the ball out on time. I can’t afford to look at the rush, look at him, or anything like that. So, trust the game plan, trust the scheme, trust the way it’s set up and then do my job, execute and get the ball out on time.”

Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns, who’s enjoying a fruitful first season with the team as their No. 1 edge rusher, has plenty of respect for Watt’s craft as well.

“He just finds a way to impact the game in a lot of ways,” Burns said. “Super intense, relentless. T.J. is a guy that I watch quite a bit of film on. He does what he does well. I’ll say that. He has this one move that people just seem, they can’t figure out. He does what he does well.”

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