Steel City Underground presents our 2025 Plays of the Year series: a weekly rewind through the biggest moments, breakout performances, and unforgettable highlights from last season’s Pittsburgh Steelers campaign.
In Week 12 of the 2025 NFL regular season, the Pittsburgh Steelers got off to a hot start on the road against the Chicago Bears. Unfortunately, the game got close enough that the Bears squeezed ahead by three points and did not relent. One of the reasons the Steelers were able to go up early was due to a sack that might have caused the Bears to give up a safety… and instead resulted in a strip and fumble recovery for a defensive touchdown.
Nick Herbig has been playing outstanding football this season and T.J. Watt entered this game against Chicago narrowly trailing his brother, J.J. Watt‘s sack record.
Pittsburgh answered a Bears touchdown when Mason Rudolph handed off the ball to D.K. Metcalf on a WR end-around run for a 6-yard TD to tie the score, 7-7. Chris Boswell kicked off after a successful PAT and Chicago’s offense took the field at their own 30 yard line due to a penalty during the return. On the next play, Herbig wrapped up D’Andre Swift and Chicago was penalized 10 yards for offensive holding as the first quarter ran out.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, on 1st & 20 at the CHI 10 threw an incomplete pass to open the second quarter. On the next play, Williams handled the sack from shotgun and was bull-rushed by Watt. Williams didn’t just accept his fate and take the sack for a safety, though. Instead, holding the ball in just his throwing hand, Williams lost the ball as he was spun down. Herbig quickly jumped on the loose ball to score another Steelers touchdown.
DOING WATT HE DOES BEST 🙌 @_TJWatt
📺 #PITvsCHI on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/3PDkA9HUVN
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 23, 2025
The strip-sack gave Watt his seventh sack of the season and career sack number 115. J.J. Watt – on the call for CBS – was in attendance as was the Watt family when T.J. set the family record for sacks.
.@_TJWatt is now the Watt family sack leader with 115 💪 pic.twitter.com/bd8j7wlbLe
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 23, 2025
Let’s not forget about Herbig, however. At this point he recorded 6.5 sacks on the season, trailing only Watt. Herbig also had 2 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and an interception on top of 24 total tackles.
Herbig would finish the 2025 season in high regard, with 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles-for-loss, 18 QB hits, and 3 forced fumbles.
Trent Jordan Watt dijo: ¡CON PERMISO, COMPADRE! 🔥
🎙️: @AlvaroNFLMartin & @ArturoCarlos @_TJWatt I 📺: #PITvsCHI en NFL Game Pass pic.twitter.com/IvWarCwDxC
— Steelers en Español (@LosSteelers) November 23, 2025
T.J. Watt would have what some Steelers fans considered a “down” year, but it’s important to note this was his last game with a sack. Watt would be held in check against the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens before suffering a freak accident when training staff inadvertently punctured his lung. Watt would miss three games due to the injury, appearing in the season finale against the Ravens and the Wild Card matchup with the Texans, coming up with goose eggs in those encounters.
While Herbig’s star was also shining bright at this time, he would only register one more sack on the season in the next six games played as well, as the Steelers defense as a whole struggled against their competition.
Check back each week as we continue spotlighting the plays that defined the Steelers’ 2025 season — one moment at a time.