While Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson might not have been the most popular NFL player at Wednesday’s practice at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe’s Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada, he did have some thoughts to share with Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano. While golf may have been the sport being played, Manzano and Peterson did take a moment to discuss the upcoming season and Peterson’s goals, especially framed by the players that Peterson will be playing alongside in Pittsburgh.
“It’s just going to make my like that much easier,” Peterson said about playing with players like edge rusher T.J. Watt and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. “So, hopefully I get more interceptions than I did last year. Seven, here we go.”
Peterson tallied five interceptions to go with 66 total tackles in 2022 while playing with the Minnesota Vikings. He should get plenty of chances to make plays in the Steelers’ aggressive, ball-hawking defense, a unit that tied for the NFL-lead in interceptions (20) a year ago. He did play with some talented defensive players in linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter (both of whom recorded 10.5 sacks in 2022) along with safety Harrison Smith.
However, no one is arguing that the linebackers, Smith and Hunter, are on the same level as Watt. Nor is there a compelling case that Harrison Smith is as good a safety as Fitzpatrick.
Smith has played in 107 career regular-season games in eight years. He has 54.5 sacks, 271 total tackles, 68 tackles for a loss, 136 quarterback hits, 12 pass breakups, and nine forced fumbles. He’s played in seven playoff games and has four sacks, 17 total tackles, four tackles for a loss, and seven QB hits.
Hunter has appeared in 102 career regular-season games over seven seasons. He has 71 sacks, 379 total tackles, 85 tackles for a loss, 112 quarterback hits, one safety, seven forced fumbles, and six passes defended. In six postseason games, he has 24 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, four tackles for a loss, nine QB hits, one pass defended, and one forced fumble.
While both players have proven to be quality pass rushers, Watt has clearly surpassed both players. He has played 87 regular-season games in six seasons. He has 77.5 sacks, 333 total tackles, 88 tackles for a loss, 162 QB hits, six interceptions, 37 passes defended, and 23 forced fumbles. In three career playoff games, he has one sack, eight total tackles, three tackles for a loss, five QB hits, three passes defended, and returned a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Not only does Watt have better pass-rushing numbers than either Vikings defender, he also has shown an ability to affect the passing game with the ball in the air in ways that the Minnesota duo do not as evidenced by his interceptions and pass-defending numbers.
At safety, Smith has played 159 regular-season games in his 11-season career. He has 946 total tackles, 43 tackles for a loss, 16.5 sacks, 83 passes defended, and 34 interceptions, including four defensive touchdowns. He has also played in seven playoff games and has 46 total tackles, four tackles for a loss, two passes defended, and no interceptions.
Fitzpatrick has played 79 career regular-season games in five seasons with 448 total tackles, six tackles for a loss, no sacks, 47 passes defended, and 19 interceptions (four returned for touchdowns). He has only played in two playoff games and recorded 12 total tackles with no interceptions.
While Smith is a very good safety, there’s a very good argument to be made that Fitzpatrick is the best safety in the league. Couple that with a healthy Watt, and it’s no wonder that Peterson expects to have a more productive season in 2023.
