Back to work: On a night when linebacker TJ Watt recorded his 100th career sack, with a total of 1.5 sacks in the game, there was something much more meaningful and important that he wished would have happened.

Watt became the second-fastest player to reach 100 career sacks, in 109 career games. Only Hall of Famer Reggie White did it faster, reaching the 100-sack mark in 96 games. Watt is also one of only three players to reach 100 career sacks before the age of 30.

But a win would have meant much more to him.

“Like I’ve said all along, especially this year, it’s not about individual accolades,” Watt said. “It’s all about wanting to win. We didn’t do enough to make it happen.”

In the loss to the Cowboys, the Steelers allowed two long touchdown drives, one a 16-play, 90-yard drive and the other a 15-play, 70-yard drive to end the game.

The defense also allowed the Cowboys to convert 9 of 15 third down attempts, something Watt knows is not a recipe for success.

“They obviously performed well and made plays when action needed to be taken, and we couldn’t get off the field,” Watt said. “There was a stretch where they were able to run the ball on us, and that led to those long drives.

“I think there were fifteen and sixteen play drives, something like that. Obviously when the numbers are limited it just takes a long time to be on the field. Tip of the cap to those guys.

“They had a great game plan and they executed it better than us.”

Tomlin said the defense wasn’t “connected enough” in terms of communication early in the game, and Watt said that’s something they need to work on.

“I’m sure we’ll come up with a plan after we see the movie,” Watt said. “Obviously when the home environment is that loud it always creates a challenge for the defense. But we can’t make excuses.

“We just have to move on and bring a better product to market.”

While Watt would have liked to see one of his teammates get away with the Elandon Roberts forced fumble in the final seconds, a fumble that Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott recovered, he knows the game didn’t come down to one play.

“These games in the NFL are so close,” Watt said. “It might be a play here or there, but there’s clearly a body of work, a whole body of work that we need to go back and look at.

“It didn’t stop at just one game tonight.”

And when Watt was 3-2 after the defeat, Watt said there was only one thing they had to do.

“We just have to get back to work,” Watt said.