When T.J. Watt is healthy, he’s a game-changer for the Pittsburgh Steelers. That proved to be true in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. Watt had a sack, four tackles, two tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits, and a fumble recovery. He also had two separate strip-sacks wiped out due to penalty (including an offsides penalty called on him that wasn’t actually offsides).
The performance caught everyone’s eye. Pro Football Focus had him the highest-graded Steelers player and the highest-graded defensive player across the league heading into Monday night’s game. So it should be of no surprise that Rich Eisen had Watt’s game against the Falcons as one of the top-five performances of the weekend.
“The guy was wrecking the whole frigging game,” Eisen said on Tuesday’s edition of the Rich Eisen Top Five. “With all due respect to even what we’re saying about the Falcons, I’m sure Kirk Cousins is just like, throw it out because I’m not seeing T.J. Watt the rest of the year… T.J. Watt was awesome. He was a game wrecker.”
Even co-host Chris Brockman chimed in, adding, “I swear he was lined up in the backfield. It felt like it.”
I’m sure that Falcons RT Kaleb McGary also feels very similar to what Eisen said. After all, he was trying to block Watt (and largely failed). Watt lived in the Falcons’ backfield through much of the game Sunday. He even helped pressure Cousins into a bad throw that S DeShon Elliott intercepted.
This was not a game where Watt’s detractors could accuse him of being the recipient of easy stats. No, Watt was simply destructive. Maybe Cousins didn’t fully trust his Achilles tendon. But it wouldn’t have mattered. Watt was on a mission to set up shop all day in the Falcons’ backfield and cause problems, and he certainly did so.
Watt wasn’t the only Steelers player who had a good day Sunday that Eisen recognized.
“They’re people too,” Rich Eisen said. “Not punters. Chris Boswell of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Six field goals, three of them over 50. No Steeler has ever kicked three of them over 50, and he had the entire scoring.”
Eisen went on to recount the situation late in the fourth quarter, when P Cameron Johnston suffered a season-ending injury, and Boswell had to step in to punt.
“He sends it to the opposition 40-yard line,” Eisen said. “51 yards from his own 17-yard line. 51 yards, not return. Come on. And sure enough, the Steelers get the ball back and Boswell kicks his sixth field goal to end the day. That is one of the top performances of Week 1. Helped the Steelers win the game because he could have shanked that thing, and that thing could have been over.”
But Boswell did everything he could to help win that game. And so did Watt. Boswell’s punt flew true, and the Steelers defense with Watt made sure the Falcons couldn’t get back. Watt ended the game with his only (official) sack by dropping Cousins on the game’s final play.
Both players were instrumental in the Steelers’ Week 1 win. And both players had standout performances in Eisen’s view. Watt did what he always does, and Boswell showed unexpected versatility.
You can watch the entire segment from Eisen below:
