The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a brutal loss at the hands of the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, but that didn't stop outside linebacker Nick Herbig from having a standout performance.
Herbig was a menace on Thursday, tallying three tackles, four pressures, one sack and a forced fumble. For this efforts, Pro Football Focus' Gordon McGuinness recognized Herbig as the outlet's Defensive Player of the Week for Week 12.
"Herbig was outstanding in the Steelers’ loss to the Browns on (Thursday) Night Football, earning an elite 94.6 PFF pass-rush grade," he wrote. "He registered four total pressures, forced a fumble and recorded four tackles that resulted in defensive stops."
Herbig has been seeing extra work lately thanks to the injury to Alex Highsmith, who has missed the last two games. In that span, Herbig has made the most of his opportunity with eight pressures, one sack and two forced fumbles.
Overall, Herbig is in the midst of a career year. He has already more than doubled his career-high mark in pressures with 17, and his 3.5 sacks are also a personal best.
Making those numbers even more impressive is the fact that Herbig has missed four games this season.
We saw flashes of Herbig being a difference-maker during his rookie season, and he has taken a step forward in 2024. There's no question the Steelers got a gem when they took Herbig in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
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