One of the biggest matchups for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Los Angeles Chargers was between T.J. Watt and Joe Alt. Alt is a rookie offensive tackle, but he had been dominant through the Chargers’ first two games. Against Watt, though, things went a little differently. He did as admirable of a job as any rookie, but Watt isn’t considered one of the best defenders in the league for nothing.
According to Kris Rhim of ESPN, Alt said that he still learned a lot facing Watt and that one point of emphasis for him going forward will be getting off the snap quicker.
It makes sense that speed would be one thing Alt would want to work on after going against Watt. Even this year, Watt has shown how incredible his speed is. In Week 1, he was so fast that the officials thought he had to be committing a penalty. That’s probably not something Alt has dealt with in his NFL career so far.
He did have good performances against Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders and Jadeveon Clowney of the Carolina Panthers, but neither of them is Watt. That was evident early in the Steelers’ 20-10 win when Watt drew a holding penalty. He picked up an official sack later in the game. Watt’s speed is evident on that sack. He explodes off the ball, shooting past Alt. It’s incredible to watch and probably feels even more unreal when he’s rushing past you.
Unfortunately, Alt couldn’t finish the game because of an injury. Hopefully it isn’t too serious, and he can come back soon because he has been stellar as a rookie. Even though Watt got the better of him, he performed better than some veterans have in the same situation.
Alt still seems to have a bright future ahead of him so maybe he and Watt will match up again in the near future. He could gauge how much he’s grown at that point. Although based on how Watt looks this season, it doesn’t seem like he’s going to slow down any time soon. Next time they meet, Alt may have just as hard of a time facing Watt. Anything can happen, though, and either way, these two seem like they’re going to continue to be some of the NFL’s best at their respective positions.
