Pittsburgh Steelers standout pass rusher exits with hamstring injury
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Nick Herbig left in the third quarter of the team’s game against the Dallas Cowboys with a hamstring injury. Herbig hobbled to the blue medical tent after the play and was assisted by trainers to the tent. He exited the tent and went down to the locker room shortly after. Generally, that is a signal that the player will unlikely return.
Herbig has one sack for the night, a total of two half-sacks. He and T.J. Watt have consistently won against their men, and Herbig induced a forced fumble on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the first half.
Herbig suffered the injury while trying to bend the edge to get to Prescott. While going forward, the top of his jersey slightly yanked him, causing his body to enter an odd extension.
The Steelers are already down starting outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, who has a groin injury. Highsmith’s injury could keep him out another week, but the team anticipates his return for a Sunday night game on Oct. 20 against the New York Jets.
the Pittsburgh Steelers defense was pinned inside its own 1-yard line holding a 4-point lead during the final minute of regulation when linebacker Elandon Roberts came flying over the line of scrimmage on second down. Roberts stopped Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle dead in his tracks and jarred the ball loose.
Suddenly, the Steelers had an opportunity to secure victory with a fourth takeaway. But Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott recovered the loose ball.
Although the play resulted in a 3-yard loss, Prescott found Jalen Tolbert in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown two plays later.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin lamented over the inability of his defense to recover Dowdle’s fumble in the final minute of the fourth quarter. Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt, though, didn’t play the what-if game as much as his head coach.
“These games are so close. It can be one play here or there, but obviously there’s a collection of work, a whole body of work that we’re going to have to go back and look at,” Watt told reporters after the loss. “It didn’t come down to just one play tonight.”
