Steelers 34, Bengals 12
NICK HERBIG: I would like to say all glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Super thankful. I think when he's at the center, life is a lot better and more peaceful.
Whenever you guys are ready.
Q. That package you have been using all year seemed to have finally paid off with a pick. You got pressure. Tell me about that package and the success you had on that play.
NICK HERBIG: Yeah, I mean, it's no discredit to anybody in the D-line room or anybody up front. Sometimes it's just wanting more speed I guess on the field, and we have a deep outside linebacker room.
I mean, Jack is having a great rookie year. That kid plays his butt off, and he's ready whenever his number is called. So today his number was called, and he was able to get out there and run around with us, and we were able to create a lot of pressure off that package, so it was awesome.
Q. How big a response game was this for you guys as a unit knowing what happened against this team a couple of weeks ago?
NICK HERBIG: I mean, you know, everybody in the building, we know what we're capable of. We know what we have to do. It's just a matter of going out and doing it.
So, you know, obviously it feels good to get a win, but there's still a lot of work to be done.
Q. What was different this time versus Cincinnati? What did you do so much better?
NICK HERBIG: We just played our game, our brand of football. Played Steeler football. We didn't have all the turnovers necessarily that our culture is like, but you know, we had two touchdowns, which is -- I mean, that's instrumental, huge in the win.
Just getting back to our roots, doing what we do, and playing Steeler football.
Q. The two blocks for the final --
NICK HERBIG: Man, I just try to do my job, man. Try to be the best teammate I can be.
Q. Can you speak of the impact Dugger has made in just a couple of games with you guys and Pierre coming in in that type of situation?
NICK HERBIG: I mean, those guys are ballers. JP, BE, Brandon Echols, he a dog, too. Dugger, a dog. All them boys, dogs. They come in -- whenever their number is called, they just come in and keep making plays, consistently showing up on film playing Steeler football. You love to see that, man.
You know, Coach he always say, The standard is the standard regardless who is in the game. It's the next-man-up mentality, and those guys exemplify that to the highest level.
Q. You guys got a ton of sacks. Do you feel like you were able to impact Flacco and keep him more uncomfortable than he was in the first game?
NICK HERBIG: He's a good quarterback. He's been doing it a long time for a reason. He has a good sense of pressure and pocket presence, awareness. Gets the ball out quick. He's a heck of a player. So we just try to affect him any way we can.
Q. When TJ planted him and he got the penalty, did you think that shook Flacco? He did seem to be shocked the rest of the game?
NICK HERBIG: TJ is TJ for a reason. He's the best in the world. I think knowing that that dude is coming after you like that, he probably has a little sense of scarcity in there. At the end of the day, it's football, man. You're going to get hit.
Q. I know you're on the defensive side, but what's the comfort level you have with having Mason knowing he's played in the NFL when he came into that situation?
NICK HERBIG: I love Mason. Like I said, next-man-up mentality. Mason embodies that. There's a reason why he was drafted here, a reason why we brought him back. You know, Mason is a great dude, great player, you know, and we have no issues with him.
Q. Talk me through, I don't know, the emotional journey there where you think you get him stopped, they're going to punt on fourth down, and then there's a fight. Jaylen gets ejected, and now you have to go back and play defense again. To be able to make that drive holding the field there, how important was that there?
NICK HERBIG: Coach always says, We defend every blade of grass no matter what happens. Sometimes there are things that are out of our control, and we just have to play football at the end of the day and do our job.
Q. What was your perspective while that was going on? Were you in the middle of it?
NICK HERBIG: Yeah, just trying to mediate it. You know, 5, he's a heck of a player, man, heck of a dude. I'm so glad he's a Steeler. I love that guy. He's a great leader, and I got his back 100%. Whatever happens, happens.
Q. Back with the sack, is that what you're talking about? You got the sack back.
NICK HERBIG: Regardless, I got back for anything.
Q. Nick, you talked about next man up. For Dugger being here less than a month now, was that kind of a guy who you knew you were getting when he came, or are you impressed with what he's done in his short time here?
NICK HERBIG: I mean, that dude has made a career out of being the next-man-up mentality. He is from Lenoir-Rhyne. You know what I'm saying? To be able to do what he's done and have the career he's had so far, that doesn't just happen. You know what I mean?
There's work that is put in behind the scenes that people don't see. That dude has put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to be where he's at today, so no surprise at all.
Q. Is there any indication that from your perspective that Ja'Marr Chase spit on Jaylen? Could you tell at all from that?
NICK HERBIG: I don't know. If he did, that's lame.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports