The sight of Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt lined up ready to pounce at the snap of the football is not comforting for any NFL quarterback.
It was a common sight that Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins saw throughout the Week 1 18-10 Steelers win, and it was a common sight for Cousins seeing Watt on top of him for a sack, though just one counted due to penalties.
Despite the limited (compared to what it should have been) stat line from Watt that included four tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss against the run, one fumble recovery and two quarterback hits, Cousins spoke glowingly of the Steelers star Wednesday during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.
“He’s a special player. His career has kind of told that story. Great effort and a smart player. He did a good job kind of trying to time up the snap count. He’s got a good rush plan,” Cousins said of Watt, according to video via Eisen’s show. “He plays hard in the run game, too. It’s not just the pass game. And every team is really looking for a player like that on their d-line. And if they don’t have one, they’re usually drafting one in the first round or signing one in free agency because every team knows the difference that those guys make.
“And he certainly impacted the game.”
That’s quite the understatement from Cousins. Watt wrecked the game, period.
And that’s ironic, considering the Falcons under head coach Raheem Morris made it a point of emphasis that they weren’t going to let Watt wreck the game. Well, he did.
Without some horrendous officiating, Watt would have finished with six tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, four quarterback hits, and one tackle for loss. He would have been a shoo-in for the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Week award.
Instead, officials botched an offsides call on Watt in which he appeared to perfectly time up the snap from center Drew Dalman, leading to an easy win around right tackle Kaleb McGary. They later called hands to the face on cornerback Donte Jackson on third and long, a penalty that extended a Falcons drive.
Despite those calls going against him, Watt saved his best for last, sacking Cousins on the final play of the game to seal the win, taking a bow in the process.
It was a dominant start to the season, one in which Watt entered with a chip on his shoulder after being snubbed for the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. We’ll see what he can do for an encore, this time in Denver. Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix better look out.
