Watching the Pittsburgh Steelers, the things you can count on each week are Chris Boswell nailing his field goals, the team playing an impossibly close game, and angry fans over perceived missed calls against EDGE T.J. Watt. An elite pass rusher, it seems the only way some tackles can slow him down is by holding him around the edge.
Appearing on 102.5 DVE Tuesday morning, former NFL official Gene Steratore explained why Watt doesn’t draw more penalties.
“There’s the phrase they’re holding on every play,” Steratore told the Randy Baumann Morning Show. “Yes, to some extent they are. Does it rise to the level of a foul? And a lot of times with T.J. just because he is just so good, it’s like, ‘Yeah, it did rise to the level of a foul again.’”
And yet, he infrequently draws penalties. At least, not as often as some think he should. For that, there’s a couple of reasons. There is a forgotten rule that rip moves usually won’t draw a penalty even if it looks like the EDGE rusher is being clotheslined trying to turn the corner.
Per NFL rules, “Holding will not be called if, during a defensive charge, a defensive player uses a ‘rip’ technique that puts an offensive player in a position that would normally be holding.”
It’s one of Watt’s favorite moves. If he initiates the rip move and works under the tackle’s arm, it won’t be called unless the defender restricts Watt’s feet. The same occurred with James Harrison, whose dip and rip was among his go-to moves and would rarely draw a foul. Steratore admitted Harrison was one of the most difficult players he ever officiated.
“James Harrison was hard for me at times because James was low to the ground, his rip move and how he got himself on the edge, would be ducking underneath of that tackled,” he said. “The truth of it is his technique put him in that space initially.”
Watt drew a holding call in Sunday’s win over the Denver Broncos though that came on a run play and was ultimately declined. Previewing Sunday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, fans could get upset at the appearance of Watt being mauled. He’ll be squaring off against rookie right tackle Joe Alt, the fifth overall pick of this year’s draft.
Standing nearly 6-9, Watt’s best way to beat Alt will be by going under him and ripping through contact around the corner. That could make it look like Watt is getting held, and he arguably is, but the crux of the rule makes it unlikely to be flagged. Something to keep in mind when you see Watt seemingly being grabbed by the neck as he’s trying to win the edge.
