T.J. Watt’s status for Sunday is suddenly up in the air.
A name nobody wanted to see on this week’s injury report popped up: T.J. Watt. He didn’t practice today after suffering a heel injury; the extent is unknown.
Pat Freiermuth, a full participant yesterday, was limited on Thursday. Herbig (quad) was also limited. The remaining five players, including Diontae Johnson and Anthony McFarland, all practiced fully.
Thursday, October 19
No. 6 P Pressley Harvin (Hamstring, Right) – Full
No.18 WR Diontae Johnson* (Hamstring) – Full
No. 26 RB Anthony McFarland* (Knee) – Full
No. 51 LB Nick Herbig (Quad) – Limited
No. 65 OL Dan Moore Jr. (Knee) – Full
No. 78 OL James Daniels (Groin) – Full
No. 88 TE Pat Freiermuth (Hamstring) – Limited
No. 90 LB T.J. Watt (Heel) – DNP
*Designated to return from IR; currently in 21-day practice window.
T.J. Watt received his seventh fine in seven seasons on Saturday.
T.J. Watt was slapped with two hefty fines in the Pittsburgh Steelers win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5. One was avoidable, the other was not.
“Not smart,” Watt said on The Dan Patrick Show of removing his helmet. “We’re going to try to appeal it. I wasn’t trying to be malicious I wasn’t taunting at someone.”
Watt had just taken Ravens QB Lamar Jackson down for the second and final time. The sack sealed the game on a critical 4th-and-7 play, and he was amped. He was also flagged for the action, but since it occurred after the play, Baltimore didn’t get a new set of downs.
NFL Highlights (Week 5): The Pittsburgh Steelers secure the victory over the Baltimore Ravens by T.J. Watt sacking Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on 4th and 7. Watt would be flagged after the play for taking his helmet off in celebration of the game-winning sack. Pittsburgh… pic.twitter.com/GEhTg7iK54
— Justin David Kish • Sports Journalist (@JustinDavidKish) October 8, 2023
“We’re going to try to appeal. I wasn’t trying to be malicious,” Watt said. “I wasn’t taunting at someone… it probably wasn’t a whole lot of safety risk because technically the game was over at that point. I just have to be better, I guess.”
When a player is fined, he and his agent handle the appeals process with in-house lawyers. Despite what people think, the money doesn’t line the pockets of owners. According to the NFL rule book’s accountability section, “fines collected are donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation to support legends in need and the NFL Foundation to further support the health, safety and wellness of athletes across all levels, including youth football and the communities that support the game.”
Watt was additionally fined $11,473 for what appeared to be striking Ravens rookie receiver Zay Flowers. He was merely attempting to jar the ball loose, only it wasn’t a catch, so the league viewed it as hitting Flowers.
In Watt’s seven-year career, he’s been fined seven times for $83,429 — never for the same infraction. His most costly penalty, $20,054, was his first. It was a ticky-tack roughing the passer call on Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. He barely grazed him, and Ryan embellished for the sake of a flag. Players should be called for diving like they do in hockey — there’s a thought.
T.J. Watt did all it with a dislocated finger. Dude is an alien.
As is customary every Saturday during the season, the NFL fined players for what they deem unnecessary infractions. Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt was one of the lucky ones, fined $25,132 on two separate violations: Unsportsmanlike conduct ($13,659) for removing his helmet after a game-sealing sack celebration and unnecessary roughness ($11,473) for striking receiver Zay Flowers.
The NFL fined #Steelers star T.J. Watt $25,132 for unsportsmanlike conduct — removing his helmet after a game-sealing sack of Lamar Jackson — and unnecessary roughness for a hit on Zay Flowers in last week’s win over the #Ravens. pic.twitter.com/41FfqtCnll
As a defender, Watt had to presume Flowers would make an easy catch, and his job was to knock it out. Only the rookie receiver heard footsteps and didn’t come down with it.
It’s an absurd reason to fine a player, but the helmet infraction dates back two decades-plus. It’s a clear rule that Watt was aware of (and didn’t care), especially after a flag was thrown for it.
Watt did all of the above with a dislocated finger. Dude is an alien.
However, according to Rapoport, Watt doesn’t plan to miss any time this season. Depending on how the injury heals, he could need surgery after the season.
Watt has been on a tear this season. He leads the league with eight sacks in five games. Watt also has two forced fumbles, 15 quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss and a defensive touchdown.
You can bet it will take more than one bad finger to keep Watt off the field this season. In 2022, Watt missed seven full games and parts of two more with a partially torn pectoral, which kept him from leading the league in sacks for three straight seasons. Watt was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2021.
Steelers pass rush duo T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith could rack up sacks against a Texans team with a struggling O-line.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is having himself a year. Recently named Rookie of the Month, he’s fifth in the NFL in passing yards and averaging 300 yards passing per game. But those numbers are inflated partially due to the weaker opponents he’s faced in the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars, who allowed 384 and 280 yards.
The Texans got a real taste for a tough defensive opponent right out of the gate, though. In Week 1 versus the Baltimore Ravens, Stroud took five sacks and, deducting the 46 yards lost, was limited to 196 pass yards. No touchdowns were thrown on 44 pass attempts.
This week is easily Stroud’s biggest test so far this season as far as pressure goes. Sharp Football Analysis’ Warren Sharp noted that when T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and company get pressure on the quarterback, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense is fourth in EPA (expected points added) per attempt.
Stroud is second behind only Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa when kept clean. That’s nice and all, but he’s been sacked 11 times, tied for fourth-most with New Orleans Saints’ Derek Carr.
the Steelers pass D has major splits based on getting pressure:
get pressure: #4 in EPA/att
no pressure: #25 in EPA/att
when C.J. Stroud is kept clean, he ranks #2 in EPA/att behind only Tua
“You have to be aware of them, but at the same time, we have to have confidence in what we’re doing,” Stroud said of Watt and Highsmith on Wednesday. “They have to play us, too. We’re not just going to lay down and just submit because he’s the best player.”
The Steelers lead the league in sacks by a wide margin with 13 (the next team is the Buffalo Bills with nine). Watt and Highsmith own more than half of that number. The Texans’ 23rd-ranked offensive line, which includes beloved former Steelers guard/center Kendrick Green, will have its hands full.
I get the feeling Stroud will be lying down a lot this afternoon.
Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud is not intimidated by Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt… Who should tell him?
C.J. Stroud, meet T.J. Watt. That’s about to happen on more than one occasion when the Houston Texans rookie quarterback takes the field on Sunday.
While Stroud respects Watt, he puts on like he doesn’t fear him.
“[T.J. Watt is] a great player – both 90 and 56 [Alex Highsmith] – definitely two dogs,” Stroud said on Wednesday. “This isn’t the first time I’m playing against really good [defensive] ends either.”
This is the first time he’s going up against the likes of Watt, though. And he’s not seen anything like him in his three-week career.
Who should tell him?
Stroud should be shaking in his Texas-sized boots. He’s been sacked 11 times in three weeks and will probably take a few more on the chin from Watt, Alex Highsmith and company on Sunday. Watt, the AFC Defensive Player of the Month, leads the league in sacks (six) and total pressures (20) — one of which led to an interception versus the Las Vegas Raiders. Highsmith has a sack to his name, as well as 12 total pressures.
“You have to be aware of them, but at the same time, we have to have confidence in what we’re doing,” said Stroud. “They have to play us, too. We’re not just going to lay down and just submit because he’s the best player.”
Alex Highsmith had to deal with double teams for eight games in 2022 in T.J. Watt‘s absence. Now that Watt’s 100 percent and back to his usual dominating ways, Highsmith is more free to do what he does.
And he’s thankful for it.
“I am just blessed to go to war with that guy every week,” Highsmith told Teresa Varley of Steelers.com after learning Watt earned AFC Defensive Player of the Month. “He makes me better. To see his process, what he does. There is a reason he is who he is. He is the best in the world at what he does. Just to go to battle with him every week is awesome.”
The list of ridiculous September stats for Watt seems to go on and on. Six sacks, 11 tackles, nine of them solo stops, 12 quarterback hits, five tackles for a loss, two passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries, including one for a 16-yard score. He surpassed James Harrison as the franchise’s all-time sack leader and leads in overall sacks made in the month of September.
Per Steelers.com, Watt is the first player to record six sacks and register a defensive touchdown in a team’s first three games of a season since 1982 (when the NFL officially started tracking sacks).
Watt and Highsmith have cemented themselves as one of — if not the best — edge duos in the NFL. The pair hijacked the Cleveland Browns offense in the Week 2 Monday Night Football matchup when they both scored touchdowns. It was Highsmith’s first pick-six, and Watt had three career touchdowns off various plays.
The two are licking their chops with their next matchup versus the Houston Texans. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, September’s Offensive Rookie of the Month, is the fourth most-sacked quarterback in the league with 11.
The best NFL defender debate starts and ends with T.J. Watt.
T.J. Watt took one more step toward ending the argument that he’s the best defender in the NFL today when the league awarded him AFC Defensive Player of the Month.
.@_TJWatt has been named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for September!
Watt’s had an insane start to the 2023 season, leading the league in sacks (six), quarterback hits (12), total pressures generated (20) and tying for first in forced fumbles and fumble recoveries (2).
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month, and Watt’s stats are better, so let’s just refer to him NFL Defensive Player of the Month.
T.J. Watt is a pretty good judge of talent, so when he talks about the performance of his Steelers teammates, you listen.
T.J. Watt is a pretty good judge of talent, so when he talks about the performance of Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, you listen.
“Kid plays hard. And he’s a big guy that can move really well, and he continues to get better week in and week out,” Watt said after defeating the Raiders.
And he’s excited about what’s to come for his fellow defender.
“He loves the game, he works hard, and just another guy I’m not surprised by. But super excited to have him continue to take steps each and every week, it’s important at this level.”
Benton played the least amount of snaps he has all regular season (21-28-29) but made them count. He drove right through the center and mowed down Raiders’ Jimmy Garoppolo, notching the first of what’ll be many career sacks.
Keeanu Benton is going to be a baller for the Steelers.
Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt responded to the roughing the passer penalty imposed after Minkah Fitzpatrick sacked Raiders’ Jimmy Garoppolo.
In what could’ve been the difference in the Raiders game, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was flagged for a ridiculous red zone roughing the passer penalty midway through the fourth quarter. And, once again, Fitzpatrick is under a microscope for a controversial hit.
The call gave Las Vegas a fresh set of downs and led directly to a touchdown moments later.
When Fitzpatrick prompted the referees for an explanation, they told him it was a helmet-to-helmet hit after “he ducked and I hit him in his head.” Video replay clearly shows Fitzpatrick’s helmet did not make contact with the quarterback’s helmet.
Rules analyst Terry McAulay disagreed with the call, saying on the broadcast there was no forcible contact to the head or neck area of Jimmy Garoppolo.
Minkah playing 2 hand touch and still getting flagged @steelers
According to Steelers Now, crew chief Tra Blake refs lead the NFL in roughing-the-passer penalties in 2023.
Fitzpatrick has every right to be upset, visible after the call and during his postgame interview. It was a solid play that could’ve kept the Raiders from putting six points on the board. Thankfully it didn’t cost them the game.
