In a primetime matchup featuring two NFL titans on the defensive side of the football between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, one star shined bright and had a major impact while the other struggled to make much noise at all and went out largely with a whimper.
It seems fitting that the one who went out with a whimper was Steelers star pass rusher T.J. Watt while it was Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, who had some interesting comments leading up to Thursday night’s game, took over the first half of the game and helped lead Cleveland to a huge 24-19 win over the Black and Gold.
For Good Morning Football’s Kyle Brandt, the quiet, impact-less performance from Watt on a big stage on Thursday Night Football “definitively” put a nail in the coffin in Watt’s bid for his second NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.
Appearing on GMFB Friday morning, Brandt expressed frustration with Watt’s performance.
“I think T.J. Watt definitively lost the Defensive Player of the Year. I don’t think he’ll win it now,” Brandt said, according to video via NFL Network. “I know how voters think in a national game like that. I think that’s over.”
Brandt isn’t wrong to feel that way. National games drive narratives for voters who might not be in-tune with specific teams and games week after week in the NFL, so the ante is ratcheted up in those primetime moments.
Watt didn’t show up Thursday night.
In the loss to the Browns, Watt had four tackles and a tackle for loss on a play in which he was unblocked on a read-option and was able to crash down and take down Browns RB Nick Chubb. As a pass rusher, though, Watt didn’t have an impact at all.
Granted, the Browns chipped him every play and had some double teams for him, but that’s nothing new. The Steelers simply didn’t move him around at all to try and avoid those chips or throw the offensive scheme off, much like the Browns did with Garrett.
There’s still quite a bit of football to be played, and Watt is still a great player who makes significant impacts week after week, but on a short week in another tough AFC North matchup, this time in a blizzard, Watt didn’t make a major play. It was disappointing to see, and like Brandt said, the national narrative is formed for Watt in primetime in a big spot, and it’s not a good narrative right now.
