While Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt failed to record a sack on Sunday, he still dominated the game. He forced two key fumbles, both against ball carriers, and he explained his mindset after the game. Noting how much attention offenses are paying to him against the pass, he knows he has to exploit what opportunities he does get.
“Just trying to make plays. When you get chipped and slide [protected] and so many things in the pass game, you’re not always able to affect the game as much as I want to”, Watt told CBS’ Evan Washburn after the Steelers’ 32-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. “I’m just trying to do it in the run game and other ways where I’m able to create turnovers”.
Pro Football Focus recently introduced a measurement that more accurately captures the extent to which T.J. Watt occupies other teams’ attention. While a couple other players may draw more true double teams, nobody deals with more, more frequently, on his rush. Watt is an edge player while others who draw more doubles like Myles Garrett play more on the edge. Still, Watt deals with other types of double teams that are more nuanced.
“If they want to truly eliminate you getting to the quarterback, with getting the ball out quick and the slides and the chips, a team can pretty much do that if they want”, Watt said after the game, via the Steelers’ website. “I’m going to have to find ways to continue to affect the game as much as possible”.
T.J. Watt has drawn this kind of attention for years, of course, so dealing with multiple blockers is nothing new. Seemingly every opponent this season has mentioned plans in place before the game to neutralize him.
While the Raiders held Watt without a sack, they clearly didn’t do enough to prevent him from taking over. He finished with five tackles, including two for loss, and two forced fumbles. With 30 career forced fumbles, he is the third player in franchise history to reach that plateau.
Watt caused his first fumble late in the first half, giving the Steelers possession at the Raiders’ 30. While the drive had to survive an interception negated by a roughing-the-passer penalty, the offense capitalized with a go-ahead touchdown to make it 12-7.
Later at the top of the fourth quarter, Watt punched the ball out again, this time at the goal line. With the Raiders trailing 22-7, they were threatening to make it a one-score game. But on 3rd and goal from the 1, the former Defensive Player of the Year jarred the ball loose again.
T.J. Watt is now in second place in the NFL this season with three forced fumbles, behind only Fred Warner’s four. As you might imagine, the Steelers standout is near the top of lists for sacks and tackles for loss, as well. Defenses are trying to keep him from impacting games, but you can only do it for so long. Especially against a player like Watt who refuses to be one-dimensional.
