Too often in the discussion of Pittsburgh Steelers star outside linebacker T.J. Watt, the criticism is if he’s not affecting the game as a pass rusher, he isn’t an impact defender at all.
That discussion is, obviously, wrong as Watt has shown time and time again that he can disrupt games even without getting home as a pass rusher.
Sunday in Las Vegas was another example of that.
Watt didn’t record a single pressure in the Steelers’ 32-13 win over the Raiders, but he still played a key role thanks to his dominant display against the run, forcing two fumbles that led to recoveries for the Steelers.
For Pro Football Focus analysts Trevor Sikkema and Dalton Wasserman, Watt is one of the best in the game, and had one of his best performances ever, even without recording a pressure.
“I don’t think there’s anybody doing it better than T.J. Watt right now,” Sikkema said, according to video via PFF on YouTube. “94.7 overall grade. I saw he had a 99.0 run defense grade. Absolute stud.”
The 99.0 run defense grade is rather remarkable. You don’t see 99.0 grades very often — if ever — from PFF. But that’s what Watt received after Sunday against the Raiders.
In 52 snaps against the Raiders, Watt graded out at 94.7 overall, which included that 99.0 run defense grade. He had just a 63.5 pass rush grade, which was his lowest of the season, but that didn’t stop him from being impactful and changing the game — twice.
That lack of impact as a pass rusher but still changing the game as a run defender stood out to Wasserman.
“T.J. Watt did not have a single pressure in this game, and I’m still making it my most impressive. You don’t see 99 run defense grades floating around,” Wasserman said. “Five tackles, two for loss, four run stops, and, and apparently, skip Charles Tillman. He’s been working on this right hook with Mike Tyson because you talk about punching out two fumbles in this game, in the run game, that’s part of why that rushing grade for the Raiders was so low. And especially the second one. The one moment, the one moment the game was 22-7 where the Raiders had some hope down at the 1-yard line to punch it in and get it within one score and get some momentum. T.J. Watt just punches it out.
“And that was just the ball game right there with about 13 minutes left. I mean, T.J. Watt, even on a day when he didn’t have a single pressure as a pass rusher, was still the best player on the field. I mean, it’s just ridiculous. And I know there’s always arguments about who’s the best edge defender and who’s the best defensive player. You could have all the arguments number one about what you want, but T.J. Watt’s certainly in the top three or four without question. And it’s because of what he does.”
The forced fumble at the goal line in the fourth quarter on a 3rd and goal was remarkable. Watt had already landed a punchout earlier in the game on Raiders running back Dylan Laube, leading to a Steelers touchdown. Then he landed a second one on Ameer Abdullah, which completely changed the game for the Steelers.
That’s just T.J. Watt Football, period.
It’s what he does, it’s who he is. He has a knack for coming up with game-changing plays time and time again. It’s not luck, it’s a skill. And he showed that once again on Sunday, even without having an impact as a pass rusher.
