Steelers defensive snap counts, Week 3: Who played most vs. Bengals?

The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ defense took a few steps back in the close Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, but that was to be expected when facing off against Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins. Still, the defense is what actually called the game in Week 3, and the snap counts can give us a better idea at which players made this win a reality.

From three defensive players who never left the field to cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. once again getting the starting nod Joey Porter Jr.’s absence, here’s a look at the Week 3 snap count for the Steelers.

The biggest takeaway from these snap counts may actually be Watt’s playing time. Watt was in on just 38 snaps in Week 1 and 31 in Week 2, which was around 50% to 60% of the defensive snaps played. But in Week 3, Watt played 44 snaps, a whopping 77% of the defensive playing time. The Steelers were purposefully withholding their star edge rusher to keep him fresh, but that plan apparently went out the window in Week 3.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers defensive snap counts, Week 3: Who played most vs. Bengals?