The Pittsburgh Steelers were staring 0-2 in the face down 22-19 with 10 minutes left in their Week 2 Monday Night Football game against the Cleveland Browns. The team came back, though, and won the game 26-22, evening their 2023 record at 1-1. Here are the Steelers' biggest heroes from the game, including George Pickens and TJ Watt.

LB Alex Highsmith

The Steelers-Browns Week 2 Monday Night Football game started with a bang for the home team. On Cleveland’s first play from scrimmage, Deshaun Watson threw a short pass to Harrison Bryant. The ball bounced out of the receiver’s hands, off Pittsburgh safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, and right to Alex Highsmith, who ran it back 30 yards for the game’s opening touchdown.

After scoring the game’s first points and giving the Steelers a Week 2 lead, Highsmith didn’t stop there.

Over the next four quarters, the pass-rushing linebacker racked up seven tackles, one for a loss, two quarterback hits, a sack, a pass defended, and a forced fumble that ultimately won the game. If not for Highsmith’s involvement in the Steelers’ first and last scoring plays, the team would have lost 22-12.

Highsmith was everywhere on Monday night, and his play harkened back to Steel Curtain days of yore. He was a dominant force and, overall, the biggest hero of the team’s massive Week 2 win.

With a performance like this, Highsmith put his position group in the running for the best edge-rushing duo in the NFL. And if the Steelers’ fifth-year OLB keeps playing like this, there will soon be no question that he and TJ Wat are the cream of the crop.

Speaking of Mr. Watt…

LB TJ Watt

While Alex Highsmith was the No. 1 Steelers hero of the Browns game, he wasn’t the best player on the field, on his team, on his defense, or even at his outside linebacker position. That honor goes to three-time All-Pro TJ Watt.

After Highsmith sacked Watson in the fourth quarter and caused him to fumble, Watt was right there to scoop the ball up and run it 16 yards into the end zone for his first career NFL touchdown.

Despite the rumblin’, stumblin’, bumblin’ heroics, Watt was incredible all night long. The final stat line was good, but wasn’t necessarily the Defensive Player of the Year box score that Watt often puts up.

Against the Browns, TJ Watt had four tackles, 1.0 sacks, one pass defended, four QB hits, and of course, the fumble recovery for a touchdown. However, Watt’s impact on the game goes well beyond the box score.

Cleveland had a rookie right tackle — Dawand Jones — who Watt went up against all night. The youngster did OK, but it was because he got a ton of help from his fellow linemen as well as tight ends and running backs chipping and double-teaming the edge rusher. The Browns spent so much time and energy working to slow TJ Watt down on Monday that it allowed his counterpart Highsmith to have a lot more room to operate and dominate.

WR George Pickens

The Steelers offense looked as bad as the defense looked good in Week 2. The unit had 255 yards of offense, which was better than the 239 they put up the week before, but still not good. RB Najee Harris was wildly ineffective with 16 carries for 74 yards (but just 3.3 yards per carry without his one 24-yard run), and Kenny Pickett was just plain bad.

Pickett went 15-of-30 for 222 yards with a touchdown, an interception, and two sacks. The supposedly mobile QB also had -6 rushing yards.

And if you didn’t watch the game, don’t let the semi-respectable yards and touchdown fool you. The score and 71 of those yards came by hitting star wide receiver George Pickens after he got wide open and then blazed through the Browns defense for a touchdown.

Pickens was the only positive on the Steelers offense on Monday night. He finished with four catches for 127 yards and that TD. Anytime he got the ball in his hands, the WR was electric. The only problem was Pickett only got the ball to him four times, although he targeted him on 10 passes.

George Pickens was the Steelers offensive hero in Week 2, and it wasn’t even close. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada and Pickett must (Must! Must!) find more ways to get the ball in his hands moving forward if Pittsburgh wants to win games.

Pickens is a star, and even though Pickett is not yet, a star WR and average QB combo can become dangerous if they are schemed up the right way. Just ask Justin Jefferson and Tyreek Hill.