You could hear the disappointment in T.J. Watt's voice when he talked this week.
It was noticeable, because Watt so desperately wants to do something he hasn't done yet in his career.
Win a playoff game.
"We need to win football games and find ways to stop the run and play effective defense and go from there," said Watt. "But I don't have all the answers as we sit here right now as to what needs to change."
It's the same feeling Watt had last year after the Steelers lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round, a game Watt didn't play in due to a knee injury.
The feeling, though, doesn't change.
"It's tough to sit here, same time as last year, the same scrum and same questions. And I have the same answers," said Watt. "Obviously, I'm very frustrated with how things ended. And that's not just with the last game. That's the last month of football.
"It's a collection of things and it starts with myself, and I need to play better. We need to play better. There's not one thing that needs to be fixed here. There's a lot of things. But it starts internally with myself. I need to play better in bigger moments. And it'll be a long offseason to have to sit with that."
Watt, who has a remarkable ability to make big plays at key times, didn't come up with as many big plays down the stretch as opposing offenses scheme to find ways to take him out of the game.
"Teams are playing certain ways and chips and stuff like that and getting the ball out quick," said Watt. "I need to be more open to moving around more and trying to affect games as much as possible. You guys know I want to affect the games more than anybody, but I don't want to selfishly take another guy's spot, go to a different spot where I feel like I could have a better rush.
"I definitely feel like schematically it's been a tough year for how the offensive scheme things to try to get me out of the game. It's going be a big break down for me to try to find ways to make plays. I'm not making excuses for myself at all. I want to make plays. I need to find ways to continue to win off of chips and slides and things of that nature. And I'm going to work tirelessly this offseason to get that sorted out."
Watt started every game at left outside linebacker this year, and said it's a position where he does feel the most comfortable. But he also has moved at times.
"I move around from time to time, but primarily the left. I prefer the left," said Watt. "But at this point in my career, I want to be an impact player. I don't want to be schemed out of games. I want to be able to deliver the football and good field position, or take the football away.
"It wasn't a good enough year for myself when it comes to that."
With the way Watt talks, you would think he didn't have another strong season. But he did.
He was voted the Steelers Most Valuable Player for a record fifth time this year and also selected to the Pro Bowl Games and was selected second-team Associated Press All-Pro.
Watt started all 17 games, finishing with 61 tackles, 40 of them solo stops. He had 11.5 sacks, 19 tackles for a loss, 27 quarterback hits, six forced fumbles, four passes defensed, three strip sacks, and two fumble recoveries. He is the only player in the NFL that ranks among the top six in the League in strip sacks (t-1st), forced fumbles (1st), quarterback hits (6th), fumble recoveries (t-7th), sacks (8th) and tackles for loss (2nd) in 2024.
Watt recorded his 100th career sack against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5 of this season, on a night he accounted for one and a half sacks.
Watt became the second fastest player to reach 100 career sacks, doing it in 109 career games. Only Hall of Famer Reggie White did it faster, reaching the 100-sack mark in 96 games. Watt is also one of only three players to reach 100 career sacks before the age of 30. He is the Steelers all-time sack leader with 108 career sacks, third-most in NFL history by a player in their first eight seasons in the NFL.
He wants more, and he wants to do it right in Pittsburgh. Watt will be entering the final year of his contract in 2025 and wants to stay put.
"I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler," said Watt. "I don't want to leave this place. I want to be part of the solution. I've put so much into it here. I want to help Cam Heyward get to where we need to get. I want to be a part of the solution.
"I don't want to leave this place. I love the people here. And that goes beyond just the coaches. It's the fan base. It's the people, the community. And we owe it to them to get it right. And I want to be part of the solution, not leave here and go somewhere else.
"That's not my intention at all."
