Mark Madden: T.J. Watt, Steelers defense were good as advertised and will need to be all season

If the Steelers are to have a blueprint for success in 2021, Sunday’s upset victory at Buffalo might come close to what’s needed.

The defense won the game. T.J. Watt spurred the defense to win the game.

Within the admittedly narrow microcosm of Week 1, the superstar outside linebacker delivered impact commensurate with the parameters of his monster new contract.

Watt had two sacks, including a strip sack that created a turnover, and a tackle for loss. He totaled five quarterback hits and seemed omnipresent despite limited snaps that followed a limited training camp.

In short, Watt was worth every penny.

Now Watt just has to do that most weeks. That’s his job description.

Watt’s colleagues on defense followed suit.

Josh Allen only got sacked three times, but got pressured into a decidedly mediocre game. (Witness a meager passer rating of 79.7.) The Steelers’ pass rush generated consistent heat despite blitzing on just 3.7% of Allen’s 64 drop-backs.

Buffalo receiver Stefon Diggs destroyed the Steelers last Dec. 13, making 10 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown. But that was against the efforts of since-departed cornerback Steven Nelson. Diggs saw coverage by committee on Sunday. The result was nine catches for 89 yards and a pedestrian average of 7.7 yards. No big plays, no touchdown.

The numbers weren’t there for the Buffalo offense. It got betrayed by big moments, too.

Buffalo was stopped on downs twice in the second half: Once when Cam Sutton was in coverage, once when Sutton foiled some clumsy trickery in Buffalo’s backfield. (Sutton was one of the day’s heroes. When Diggs lined up in the slot, Sutton contained him.)

The Bills returned the opening kick to Pittsburgh’s 24. But the Bills got just five yards on three snaps before settling for a field goal. An early backbreaker was avoided.

Watt didn’t make all the plays, but was the catalyst. He led, the rest followed.

A defensive performance like that won’t happen every game.

But it needs to happen most games.

The Steelers offense was not impressive.

There were a few big plays, including a juggling touchdown catch by Diontae Johnson and an acrobatic sideline grab by Chase Claypool over Bills elite cornerback Tre’Davious White. (Claypool also took a reverse 25 yards and drew a critical pass interference call. It’s time to feature Claypool like a No. 1 receiver.)

But while he made the throws needed, Ben Roethlisberger’s arm looked lukewarm, as were his stats.

The offensive line was not good. It’s not supposed to be. It might not get better.

Roethlisberger got sacked twice, but wasn’t running for his life.

But Najee Harris wasn’t able to run much at all. The rookie back had 45 yards on 16 carries, a rotten average of 2.8 yards.

The offensive line rarely got significant push on run-blocking. Harris got hit so early, he was lucky to get out of the huddle on a few occasions. (Harris played every offensive snap. That shows the bad wasn’t his fault, and that there’s no alternative.)

The offense won’t be very good. That line makes it impossible. (Although the line’s youth suggests room for improvement, its talent does not.)

We didn’t see a lot of the pizzazz attached to new offensive coordinator Matt Canada. The more the offense failed, the more it looked like last year’s.

Special teams bailed the Steelers out with that blocked-punt touchdown. But special teams helped dig the hole by conceding that long return on the opening kick.

But Watt was the power and the glory on this day. (Cam Heyward wasn’t far behind. What a pro.)

It’s not often that an outside ‘backer gets quarterback-level money. It’s not often an outside ‘backer makes quarterback-level impact. Both happened within three days.

Sunday’s game was also testimony to the ultimate and constant impotence of the flaccid franchise that is Buffalo. They came into the game considered one of the AFC’s top three teams, then immediately went limp and lost a home game to a 6½-point underdog, blowing a 10-0 halftime lead en route. Same as it ever was.

But Watt and the Steelers’ defense was the big story.

In today’s points-crazy NFL, it’s tough to go far based primarily on defense, no matter how elite.

The Steelers will test that.