Will T.J. Watt rebound after being shown up by Myles Garrett?
While T.J. Watt didn’t play a “bad” game last Thursday, he certainly played one of his worst in a while. And his performance looked even worse coming on the same field as Myles Garrett, who dominated the first half. In the midst of a merely good to very good season, Watt is under the microscope, particularly now.
Up until this point, it seemed as though T.J. Watt still managed to make the critical play at the right time even if he wasn’t making much of an impact during the game. But he had no trick up his sleeve as the Steelers helplessly allowed a game-winning touchdown drive led by Famous Jameis.
As a slight aside, I do find it amusing that Myles Garrett said before last Thursday’s game that he and T.J. Watt don’t play on the field at the same time, that they don’t directly compete against one another. But then after he had a dominant game, he said his mission was to prove he was the best. And thus, of course, also better than Watt. It’s always easier to talk a big game and run your mouth after the fact. I don’t think he would have said he wanted to show up Watt but failed if that’s how it happened.
But back to business, which is what the Steelers need from their star. T.J. Watt buzzed his hair, but it somehow didn’t translate on the field. I’m not sure what else he needs to shave, but he better come in Sunday looking like an Olympic swimmer.
One can argue that it’s not all just on T.J. Watt, of course. Offenses are obviously paying a lot of attention to him and the Steelers are not doing a ton to mitigate that attention. It also doesn’t help that he has frequently played with either Alex Highsmith or Nick Herbig injured, if not both. But either way, the Steelers could sure use a T.J. Watt-like game on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. And then maybe another one every game after that.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Russell Wilson earning a lucrative new deal next year, and is Justin Fields still in consideration? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
