T.J. Watt Aims to Break Steelers’ Playoff Curse Against Ravens

PITTSBURGH — T.J. Watt, the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ star linebacker, is determined to rewrite his playoff narrative as his team prepares to face the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round. Despite a stellar career that includes a Defensive Player of the Year award and franchise records, Watt has yet to win a playoff game in his eight-year NFL career.

“It’s my story since I’ve been here; I haven’t won a playoff game,” Watt said this week. “I’ve been saying it this whole season. You guys know how important this is to me. It starts with having a great day, day in and day out.”

The Steelers, who started the season strong with a 9-3 record, have stumbled in recent weeks, losing four straight games. This slump allowed the Ravens to overtake them for the AFC North title. Watt, however, remains optimistic about his team’s chances. “We know that we have the talent, we have the coaching staff, we have the scheme, we have everything that a good football team requires to make a playoff push,” he said.

Watt’s career has been marked by individual accolades, but he is acutely aware of the legacy of Steelers legends who never won a Super Bowl. Hall of Famers like Rod Woodson, Dermontti Dawson, and Ernie Stautner are among the greats who fell short of the ultimate prize. Watt is determined to avoid joining that list. “There’s a big difference between guys that come back that are Super Bowl champions and guys that aren’t,” Watt said. “I’m one of those guys right now, but there’s definitely an aura to a guy that has won a Super Bowl.”

The Steelers have a rich history of celebrating their Super Bowl-winning teams, and Watt hopes to one day be part of those reunions. “Every guy in here wants that,” he said. “Don’t confuse any of this lack of success for lack of effort. Everybody’s trying. We’re turning over every stone that we possibly can to be great.”

As the Steelers gear up for their playoff showdown, Watt is focused on execution. “It’s all about executing,” he said. “We’ve had a great week, but I feel like I’ve said that a lot this year. It’s much easier to get something back than it is to try to rebuild it or build it from the start.”

Watt’s determination to break the playoff curse is palpable. With the Ravens standing in their way, the Steelers will need to channel their early-season form to keep their Super Bowl dreams alive.