To slow down T.J. Watt’s impact this afternoon, Herm Edwards thinks the Los Angeles Chargers still run right at Watt’s way. It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see how it pays off for him.
Explaining the strategy on SportsCenter Sunday morning, Herm Edwards thinks forcing Watt to defend the run will mute his pass rush ability.
“Anytime you have a premier pass rusher, you start the game off by running at him,” Edwards said. “Trying to slow him down. You’re gonna defend the run. You’re not gonna run around and hit the quarterback in the back of the head. You’re gonna have to play the run first.”
Edwards’ approach isn’t unique. Defending top-tier pass rushers like Watt is multi-pronged. You give your tackle help with tight end and running back chips. You slide protection his way. You get the ball out quicker. You use screen and yes, controlling the ground game helps, too. Watt can’t sack Justin Herbert if J.K. Dobbins is ruling the day.
But Watt isn’t a one-note player. He’s not a pure pass rusher. What makes Watt so great is his well-rounded ability that lacks an obvious weakness. Watt is an excellent run defender and can ruin plays run to his side. In Week 1, the Atlanta Falcons made a clear effort to run away from him, and Watt still made plays from the backside. The few times Bijan Robinson ran at him, it didn’t end well.
The Chargers have run the ball at will the first two weeks and enjoyed playing from ahead. They’ll try to keep that strategy rolling against the Steelers to prevent Watt, Alex Highsmith, and the rest of that front seven from taking over. Los Angeles’ run game strategy could also work to their advantage. They’ve run to their left as much as any team this season. That’s away from Watt, putting the pressure on Cam Heyward and Highsmith to stop the run. And as our scouting report showed, they like running to the closed side of the field early and often.
While Edwards’ strategy is understandable at a basic level, the best way to counter Watt is to give him as few opportunities to make plays as possible. Triple-team him in pass protection if you have to and run away from him as you can. That’s how you beat Watt.
