Though T.J. Watt didn’t record a sack or even a QB hit in Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Rams, he still found a way to impact the game. His interception to start the second half was a huge play that led to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first touchdown of the day in a 24-17 win. In almost every game this season, Watt has found a way to dramatically change the game. With sacks, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, and interceptions, he’s among the most dominant players in the NFL.
And to ESPN’s and noted Steelers fan Stephen A. Smith, he’s better than his brother. On Smith’s Monday episode of his own show hosted on his YouTube channel, Smith said T.J. Watt is better than J.J. Watt ever was.
“I got news for y’all,” Smith said. “He’s better than his brother was. And we all loved and revered the great J.J. Watt. He’s better than his brother was. In case y’all didn’t know. In case we want to sit up here and act like everything under the sun is all J.J. Watt, J.J. Watt, three-time Defensive Player of the Year. I get all of that. But T.J. Watt? Is better than his brother was.”
Through six games, Watt has 16 tackles (seven for a loss) with eight sacks, five pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and one interception. His sacks still are tied for the league lead despite not having one since Week Five, shutout yesterday, and on his team’s bye. Earlier this year, Watt set the Steelers’ franchise record for career sacks and now has 85.5 through his first 93 games. Soon enough, he’ll top triple-digits and there’s no telling how many he’ll end his career with. If he reaches 151, he’ll have the fifth-most in NFL history.
Before injuries slowed his career, J.J. Watt was arguably the most feared defender in the league. A first-round pick of the Houston Texans in 2011, he broke out in 2012 with 20.5 sacks to win Defensive Player of the Year Honors, an achievement he’d repeat twice over the next three seasons. By the end of his fifth season, he had 74.5 with a chance to have one of the most productive pass-rushing careers ever. But injuries began to hamper his career, playing just eight games over the next two years. He bounced back with a 16-sack campaign in 2018 before missing chunks of time in 2019 and 2021. His career ended on a high note with a 12-sack season last year for the Arizona Cardinals before retiring with 114.5 sacks to his name.
Statistically, T.J. is on pace to break J.J.’s mark. And while Smith’s opinion might sound like a hot take, J.J.’s said in the past he expects his younger brother to break all his marks and that he could set the NFL sack record this season. For Smith, T.J. is the most valuable member of the defense and likely the most important figure on the entire roster.
“That’s no shade on J.J. It’s just elevation of how phenomenal l T.J. is. I don’t think the Steelers defense would exist without him.”
The Steelers’ stats when Watt does versus when he doesn’t play are striking. The bottom line, when Watt plays, they win and the defense produces pressure. When he doesn’t, they lose, and the defense becomes a shell of itself.
Regardless of who ends up better, J.J. or T.J., just know they’ll end up in the same place. The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
