“One is an accident, two is a coincidence, but three is a pattern.”
This would be the quote to describe OLB T.J. Watt’s lack of recent production as a pass rusher.
The Steelers just signed Watt to a three-year contract extension this offseason totaling $123 million with $108 million guaranteed. They hoped their former NFL Defensive Player of the Year could return to form after failing to log a sack in Pittsburgh’s final four games last season (counting their Wildcard loss to Baltimore). However, through two games this season, Watt is still without a sack. This has extended his drought now to six games (counting playoffs).
THE FILM
When you watch the tape against the Seahawks, you see how Seattle effectively kept Watt away from the quarterback. Watt finished the game with four total tackles and two quarterback hits, getting pressure on QB Sam Darnold, but failing to bring him down.
A large reason for this lack of production is that Watt got double-teamed on nearly every play. Outside of a few snaps, Watt saw multiple blockers on him for most of the game. He often drew a chip from a tight end or running back before meeting the offensive tackle. Watch the clips below showing Watt lining up on both sides, getting a chip from TE AJ Barner before getting to the offensive lineman. Darnold has the ball out before Watt can beat the block.
Seattle respected Watt so much that they occasionally dedicated three blockers to him. This left rookie OLB Jack Sawyer free for his first NFL sack on Darnold. In the clip below, you can see why Sawyer gave credit to Watt after the play.
In the few snaps that Watt had one-on-one with the tackle, he managed to pressure Darnold. Watch the clip below of Watt blowing past RT Abraham Lucas on the attempted screen pass to the running back, getting right into the face of Darnold and deflecting the pass as he wraps him up for the incompletion.
Watt’s lack of production isn’t coming from a lack of effort. He is moving across the defensive line, which he never used to do, and is operating more on twists and stunts like the one you see below to work to get to the quarterback. Still, Watt can’t get there in time in the clip below as Darnold completes the pass to WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba for a first down.
As a run defender, Watt plays with high effort chasing the football. Watch the clips below where Watt gets around the block of the tight end and to the ball carrier for the tackle on the first defensive snap in the first clip. In the second clip, watch Watt rush through Lucas’ inside shoulder and aid the tackle for no gain.
Still, Watt has his own struggles as a run defender. He displayed issues fighting off blocks by Lucas and Seattle’s tight ends. He missed this tackle on a Kenneth Walker III first-down carry . Here, he works around the corner of the block, but is just a step behind as Walker sprints up the hole. It finishes with Watt missing the diving tackle attempt.
Pittsburgh’s defense has vastly underwhelmed to start this season, and Watt has some to do with that. Opposing offenses are actively scheming to neutralize his impact. It’s the highest honor you can receive as a game-wrecker, but Watt didn’t get a contract extension worth $41 million per year to eat up blocks and almost make plays.
T.J. Watt is one of the top pass rushers in the game and one of the best in recent memory. He’s compiled double-digit sack seasons while commanding double-team blocks. Pittsburgh needs to do a better job of putting him in a position to make plays and giving him support with other pass rushers. But his performance needs to improve, along with the rest of this defense.
Teams will undoubtedly look at the tape from these six games to see what’s been working to neutralize Watt as a pass rusher. So, Watt and Pittsburgh’s defense better find a way to combat these strategies to neutralize their best pass rusher, and fast.
