Does T.J. Watt deserve to be a Defensive Player of the Year finalist?

T.J. Watt had a solid 2024 season, but his late struggles raise questions about his finalist spot for Defensive Player of the Year.

While 2024 was a historic year for the newest Steeler in the 100-sack club, T.J. Watt, his performance to end the season raises questions about the legitimacy of his inclusion in the D.P.O.Y. race.

The NFL announced that Watt was one of five players in the running to win the 2024 D.P.O.Y. award, along with Philadelphia Eagles LB Zack Baun, Denver Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II, Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson, and the reigning 2023 D.P.O.Y. award-winning DE Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns.

One could argue that each of these finalists provided a case as to why they deserve the award in 2024—except for Watt.

Surtain was the best cornerback of 2024, Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, Garrett came in second with 14 sacks and led the league with 22 TFLs, and Baun became the first linebacker to record over 150 tackles and 5 or more forced fumbles in a single season.

Watt, on the other hand, failed to record an assist, a tackle, or a sack in the final 127 snaps of the 2024 season.

Watt is still one of the greatest defenders the NFL currently has to offer, but it is no secret that 2024 was far from his year.

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Steelers defender named finalist for Defensive Player of the Year

T.J. Watt had one of his worst years as a pro with only 11.5 sacks.

On Thursday, the NFL announced finalists for all of the major end-of-the-year awards. The Pittsburgh Steelers were shut out of all the awards except for Defensive Player of the Year where outside linebacker T.J. Watt hangs on to an outside chance.

Here is the full list of finalists per the NFL:

CB Patrick Surtain II – Denver Broncos

EDGE Trey Hendrickson – Cincinnati Bengals

EDGE Myles Garrett – Cleveland Browns

EDGE T.J. Watt – Pittsburgh Steelers

LB Zach Baun – Philadelphia Eagles

Five very talented football players who meant very different things to their respective teams. While we appreciate Watt making the cut for the finalists, it would be a massive upset if he actually won the award this year. Watt’s season has been a series of ups and downs in line with the rest of the Steelers defense. Watt finished the season with 11.5 sacks, his worst total since he was a rookie if you didn’t account for 2022 when he missed must of the year win injury.

 

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Pat Surtain is an easy choice for Defensive Player of the Year

“t’s an easy case to make,” Sean Payton said of Pat Surtain’s DPOY candidacy. “He’s deserving of that type of award. He’s that good.”

Denver Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain is considered the betting favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, potentially putting him on the verge of NFL history.

Only five cornerbacks have ever won DPOY, and Surtain has a strong case to join them.

“It’s always difficult because there are so many great candidates,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said last Friday. “Number One, I was a voter for these awards once. Somebody reached out — I don’t know if you had to be — I don’t know how it worked, but the year I was out [of coaching] and I spent a lot of time… When it’s close, it’s a little shinier for the team that’s winning.

“When you look at the receivers he’s defended and the impact he’s had for us, and how we’ve played defensively and all those other things, it’s an easy case to make. Sometimes it’s a more difficult case to make, but certainly he’s deserving of that type of award. He’s that good.”

Surtain, 24, ranks first in yards allowed (306) and just about every other major coverage stat among qualified cornerbacks this season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

It would be a big upset if Surtain does not win the award this season. DPOY will be announced during “NFL Honors” before the Super Bowl in February.

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NFL’s sack leaders (including Nik Bonitto) going into Week 17

Nik Bonitto is two sacks behind the NFL leader with two games left.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto fell behind in the NFL’s season-long sack race when he totaled zero sacks in a 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football last week.

Going into Week 16, Bonitto (11.5 sacks) was just one sack shy of the NFL’s leader (Trey Hendrickson had 12.5). Bonitto than went sackless on Thursday and Hendrickson recorded another sack on Sunday, improving his total to 13.5.

Bonitto is now tied for fourth both in the NFL and in the AFC, trailing Hendrickson, Danielle Hunter (12.0) and Myles Garrett (12.0), tied with T.J. Watt (11.5). Bonitto has two weeks remaining to attempt to jump to No. 1.

NFL sack leaders going into Week 17

  1. Trey Hendrickson: 13.5
  2. Danielle Hunter: 12.0
  3. Myles Garrett: 12.0
  4. T.J. Watt: 11.5
  5. Nik Bonitto: 11.5
  6. Andrew Van Ginkel: 11.0
  7. Jonathan Greenard: 11.0
  8. Kyle Van Noy: 10.5
  9. Will Anderson: 10.5
  10. Will McDonald: 10.0

Meanwhile, fellow Broncos pass rusher Jonathon Cooper is tied for 17th in the NFL with eight sacks. Cooper is a half-sack away from tying his career high and two sacks away from the first double-digit sack season of his career.

Bonitto and Hendrickson will go head-to-head when the Bengals host the Broncos on Saturday afternoon.

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Nik Bonitto snubbed for weekly award despite matching J.J. Watt’s impressive stat

Nik Bonitto is the NFL’s first player since J.J. Watt (2014) with double-digit sacks and multiple TDs in a season. Watt won DPOY in 2014.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto was not named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week following his impressive performance against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The NFL instead gave that honor to Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley after he totaled five tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups in Week 15.

Bonitto was snubbed after recording five tackles (including one behind the line of scrimmage), one quarterback hit, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, a half-sack and a 50-yard fumble-six.

Bonitto now has 11.5 sacks on the season, tied for third overall and just one sack away from Trey Hendrickson’s league-leading 12.5 sacks.

Before his fumble-six against the Colts, Bonitto had a 71-yard pick-six against the Cleveland Browns in Denver’s previous game, making him the first player in NFL history to post 50-plus-yard defensive touchdowns in consecutive games.

Bonitto is also the first player to record double-digit sacks and multiple touchdowns since J.J. Watt accomplished that feat in 2014. Watt ended that season with 20.5 sacks and he was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Bonitto would probably need to lead the league in sacks to have a shot of winning DPOY this season. The 25-year-old pass rusher has three games remaining to build on his career-high 11.5 sacks in 2024.

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Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt named midseason DPOY by Pro Football Network

T.J. Watt’s sack numbers are down but he’s still a game wrecker.

It’s been a rollercoaster season for Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt. Despite his sack numbers being down due to opposing offenses committing two and three players to stop Watt on every play, Watt is still one of the most disruptive players in the NFL.

Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network handed out his midseason awards and despite Watt having the seventh-most sacks in the NFL this season was still his Defensive Player of the Year.

Here’s what Beasley had to say about the choice.

And Watt has been a one-man game-wrecker. His four forced fumbles (in nine games) lead the league. His 10 tackles for loss are tied for seventh. Watt also has two recovered fumbles and has three passes defensed.

If Watt gets the honor this year, it will be an upset for sure. DPOY is typically reserved for the guys with big numbers, especially sacks or interceptions. Right now Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson leads the league with 11 and New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence is second in the NFL with nine.

We all know Watt has the potential to string together games with multiple sacks and get right back into the hunt but offensive coordinators are going out of their way to minimize his impact.

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Broncos CB Pat Surtain an early contender for Defensive Player of the Year

Broncos CB Pat Surtain has been shutting down star receivers. Now he has two interceptions and a 100-yard pick-six. DPOY!

Denver Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain continues to dominate.

After grabbing two interceptions and recording a 100-yard pick-six in a 34-18 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Surtain is well on his way to plenty of accolades this season.

“Pat’s got my vote for Defensive Player of the Year,” defensive lineman Zach Allen said after Sunday’s victory.

Through the first four weeks of the season, Surtain covered DK Metcalf, George Pickens, Mike Evans and Garrett Wilson and he allowed just eight receptions for 88 yards and no touchdowns.

Raiders star wide receiver Davante Adams missed Sunday’s game with a calf injury (and trade demands), but Surtain still had a big impact on the game, helping cover tight end Brock Bowers.

Surtain’s pick-six against the Raiders stopped Las Vegas from at least scoring a field goal, which would have given them a 13-3 lead.

“He made a good play,” coach Sean Payton said after the game. “He made a real good play. The significance of the play is it is a 10-point play because they are probably at a minimum going to kick a field goal from where it happened at.

“That was a huge play for us. At that point, all of a sudden now it is 10-7. This game constantly goes back and forth. When you score on defense, you win 80 percent of the time, and then three turnovers to none. Certainly, it was a huge play, at least a 10-point play.”

It was a game-altering play from the 24-year-old cornerback.

“That was huge,” quarterback Bo Nix said. “That was probably the play of the game, a big momentum shifter. I was sitting right there with Davis [Webb] and the guys on the bench. [I] saw him catch it and kind of how their offense was set up, I didn’t think anybody was going to make a tackle, so I kind of just stayed put, and watched it from the jumbotron and enjoyed everybody celebrating.”

Later in the game, Surtain grabbed a second interception.

Fittingly, Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey was in the house for Alumni Weekend, so he got a front-row seat to PS2’s performance.

“That was pretty legendary to say the least,” Surtain said of meeting Bailey during pregame. “Having a guy like Champ come out there and watch and bring such good energy. It’s expected out there when you have a Hall of Fame player like that come and watch you.

“I had to capitalize on the opportunities I could get. I had to make that pick-six happen and got another blessing with another pick as well too, so that jersey swap was legendary. That’s something that I have always wanted to have.”

The Broncos hosted more than 120 former players at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday as part of the team’s Alumni Weekend festivities.

“It means a lot,” Surtain said of playing in front of the team’s former greats. “Every time legends come through, we want to put out a good impression and we want to bring that winning culture that they brought to this organization. To have that energy and to have that aura that they brought is pretty amazing. It was a special day today seeing a bunch of legendary guys on the field cheering us on and I know we were poised for success.”

Surtain is well on his way to becoming a legend himself (Bailey has already said he expects Surtain to become a Hall of Famer). Winning a Defensive Player of the Year award would certainly improve PS2’s resume, and he appears to be a front-runner after five weeks of play.

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Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt not among favorites for Defensive Player of the Year

T.J. Watt is one of the best all-around defenders in the NFL but not the favorite for DPOY.

In 2021, Pittsburgh Steelers edge defender T.J. Watt won Defensive Player of the Year. He also tied the single-season record for sacks. In 2022, Watt missed much of 2023 with a torn pectoral but came back strong in 2023, leading the league in sacks for the third time in his career—the only player in NFL history to do so.

But Watt did not win the Defensive Player of the Year last season. That went to Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.

You know Watt took that personally after the bounce-back season he had. So you can bet Watt is coming into 2024 eyeing a Super Bowl and a Defensive Player of the Year.

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BetMGM have their odds out for 2024 DPOY and two players are tied as the favorites. Unfortunately, neither of them is Watt. Instead, they have the reigning DPOY Garrett as the favorite and tied with him is Dallas Cowboys edge Micah Parsons.

Parsons and Garrett both sit at +650 with Watt just behind them at +750. Next up is San Francisco 49ers edge Nick Bosa at +800 and finally Las Vegas Raiders EDGE Maxx Crosby rounds out the top five at +900.

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247Sports names two Tigers as potential 2024 DPOY/OPOY candidates

Two Tigers were named potential 2024 DPOY/OPOY candidates by 247Sports.

Since 2014, Clemson football has claimed seven ACC Offensive/Defensive Player of the Year awards, and it looks like it will have a couple more candidates this season.

For OPOY, Deshaun Watson won the award in 2015, Travis Etienne won back-to-back seasons in 2018-2019, and Trevor Lawrence won the following year in 2020. Two defensive ends and a linebacker earned the three DPOY awards, including Vic Beasley (2014), Clelin Ferrel (2018), and Isaiah Simmons (2019).

According to Grant Hughes, the Tigers have legitimate contenders for both honors this season. The first is quarterback Cade Klubnik. Last season wasn’t spectacular for the former five-star. He recorded 2,844 yards through the air for 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions, with a passer rating of 126.3. But with a returning offensive line and optimism for an improved wide receiver corps, Klubnik could have a breakout season.

Hughes wrote:

Three different Clemson quarterbacks have taken home ACC Player of the Year in the last decade, and Klubnik will look to add his name to the list in 2024. The former five-star recruit didn’t have the breakout sophomore season many expected last year, throwing for 2,844 yards and 19 touchdowns with nine interceptions. There’s hope Klubnik can take the next step as a junior with a re-tooled receivers room and after another offseason with offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.

For defense, Hughes chose LB Barrett Carter. Unlike Klubnik, Carter had a good Junior campaign with 62 total tackles, which was good enough for second on the team. He also had 3.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception. However, 2023 did take a small dip compared to his season before. On the other hand, with Jeremiah Trotter Jr. going pro, Carter is the top dog in the linebacker room.

On Carter, Hughes wrote:

Carter put together an All-ACC campaign in 2023 and surprised some around the conference when he opted to return for his senior season in 2024. He’s readying for one final audition for the NFL, and his draft stock will largely depend on his performance this fall. A heady player and supreme athlete, Carter racked up 62 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last season. He’s got the tools to make a run at ACC Defensive POTY in 2024.

On this day: Boston Celtics win fifth championship vs. Los Angeles Lakers in 1962; Marcus Smart wins DPOY

On this date, the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 110-107 in overtime of Game 7 of the 1962 NBA Finals to win their fifth banner.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team won their fifth NBA Championship, which was for the 1961-62 season. The banner came at the expense of their longtime rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, in Game 7 of their series with the franchise at that time located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Boston won the critical game 110-107 in overtime with 30 points and 40 rebounds from legendary big man Bill Russell, part of an overall Finals series record of 189 total boards that still stands to this day. Iconic Celtics guard Sam Jones would add 27 points and 8 boards to the win as well.

Laker Frank Selvy missed a last-second shot that would have won the game for L.A., but it bounced off the rim, sending the game into the extra period that Boston would use to secure the victory.