Tag: T.J. Watt

NFL Week 10 picks: See who experts are taking in Commanders vs. Steelers today

The experts weigh in on Sunday’s game between the Commanders and Steelers.

The Washington Commanders (7-2) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) on Sunday from Northwest Stadium in arguably the game of the weekend.

The Commanders and Steelers come into Week 10 riding high on three-game winning streaks. However, Pittsburgh has an advantage, coming off a bye and heading into this game healthy.

Meanwhile, the NFC East-leading Commanders are banged up. Running back Brian Robinson Jr., offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas, cornerback Marshon Lattimore and kicker Austin Seibert are out. Additionally, long snapper Tyler Ott and right tackle Andrew Wylie are questionable. All indications are Ott and Wylie will play.

Washington is a 2.5-point favorite over Pittsburgh, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has a 13-4 record off bye weeks.

So, who has the advantage?

According to NFL Pickwatch, the experts have weighed in, with 58% of the picks coming for the Commanders.

Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels will have his hands full against a Pittsburgh defense led by T.J. Watt, Patrick Queen and Cameron Heyward. Will Daniels pull off more magic to lead the Commanders to their fourth straight win?

Both teams run the ball well, and whichever team runs the ball the best on Sunday will likely emerge as the winner.

Fans name Steelers LB T.J. Watt NFL’s Midseason DPOY

Pittsburgh Steelers’ future Hall of Fame linebacker T.J. Watt was named the 2024 Midseason Defensive Player of the Year by Fox. 

You voted and your voices were heard. Pittsburgh Steelers’ future Hall of Fame linebacker T.J. Watt was named the 2024 Midseason Defensive Player of the Year by Fox.

Since joining the Steelers via the 30th pick of the 2017 NFL draft, Watt has easily been the most impactful player on defense.

The fan-voted award is just another notch in Watt’s campaign belt as he strives to earn the most sought-after title in the NFL: Defensive Player of the Year.

Watt, Defensive Player of the Year for the 2021 season, finished last year with a league-leading 19.0 sacks.

Through eight games, Watt has 6.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hits, 10 tackles for loss and a league-leading four forced fumbles.

Coming off their Week 9 bye, the Steelers are set to take on Jayden Daniels and the red-hot Washington Commanders in Landover on Sunday. Watt will have something to say about Washington’s three-game win streak. Since drafting elite pass-rusher, Pittsburgh is 10-2 vs. rookie quarterbacks.


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Trade Deadline: Grading the Steelers acquisition of OLB Preston Smith

Steelers trade a 2025 7th-round pick for Preston Smith, adding veteran power to their defense. How does this move grade out?

Teams throughout the NFL better watch out; there’s a new terrifying trio of edge rushers coming to sack their quarterback. Steelers’ outside linebackers T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and the newly acquired Preston Smith form arguably the greatest edge-rushing unit in the NFL today.

Smith was recently acquired at the 2024 NFL trade deadline when the Pittsburgh Steelers traded a 2025 seventh-round draft pick to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for his talents in the Steel City.

Pittsburgh General Manager Omar Khan had recently helped facilitate a trade to acquire WR Mike Williams from the New York Jets, which received a solid B grade here at Steelers Wire. But what about the acquisition of Smith?

The 31-year-old former Packers OLB provides quality starting experience behind Watt and Highsmith, as Smith has started 138 games since entering the league in 2015. Smith has accumulated 68.5 sacks over this period and comes to Pittsburgh in what can only be described as a bargain sale in Green Bay.

For only a 2025 seventh-round draft pick given up for Smith, Khan and the Steelers’ front office receive an A+ grade for the trade.

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Is T.J. Watt’s dominant start foreshadowing another D.P.O.Y award?

T.J. Watt’s 2024 campaign showcases dominance, aiming for his second D.P.O.Y. award with elite performances in his 8 games played.

T.J. Watt continues to prove week in and week out that he is a force to be reckoned with for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Whether he is sacking the quarterback, forcing a fumble, or stuffing the run, one thing remains certain—Watt is inevitable.

Watt’s 2024 resume speaks for itself. Through 8 games played, his four forced fumbles are tied for first, his ten tackles for loss are tied for second, his nine QB hits are tied for fifth, and his six and a half sacks are tied for ninth.

The former 2021 D.P.O.Y. winner is looking to build on this fantastic statistical output and put together an undeniable campaign to win the illustrious award for a second time.

DraftKings currently has Watt as the odds-on favorite to win the award through nine weeks, ahead of elite defenders such as Kansas City Chiefs’ DT Chris Jones, New York Giants’ DT Dexter Lawrence, Houston Texans’ EDGE Will Anderson Jr., and Detroit Lions Safety Kerby Joseph.

Can Watt achieve his second D.P.O.Y. award in 2024, or will his efforts result in him being snubbed once again?

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Bill Belichick includes 4 Steelers in his midseason best

4 Steelers make Belichick’s midseason team.

When it comes to evaluating talent, there are few who can claim to be as good as Bill Belichick. Belichick is one of the greatest head coaches in NFL history and he has six Super Bowls as a head coach to back it up. He also won two more as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

So when Belichick put together his midseason All-Belichick team, we paid attention. We paid even closer attention when we realized he put four members of the Pittsburgh Steelers on the list.

On defense, Belichick included defensive tackle Cam Heyward and outside linebacker T.J. Watt on the list. Heyward has returned from an injury last season, got himself a big new contract and is playing like a young player once again. As for Watt, he’s once again a frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year.

Belichick also gave props to the Steelers special teams. He put safety Miles Killebrew, who is perhaps the best kick blocker in the NFL and kicker Chris Boswell on the team. Boswell has been the team’s most reliable scoring threat in Pittsburgh for years and this season is no different. Boswell is averaging 10.6 points per game and the team is averaging 23.4 points per game.

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Giants’ Jermaine Eluemunor claims victory over T.J. Watt

New York Giants RT Jermaine Eluemunor believes he locked T.J. Watt down on Monday night: “He didn’t do a damn thing.”

New York Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor has been a colorful interviewee since signing with the club in free agency this past offseason.

This week, he may have gone a bit too far with his opinions after the Giants’ 26-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.

Leading up to the game, Eluemunor, who was nursing a hip injury, had his competency questioned as he prepared to face Steelers All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt.

Eluemunor answered those critics by saying that he had faced Watt before and was ready for the challenge.

“I want to be on an island with T.J. Watt all day,” Eluemunor told reporters last week.

The game, naturally, told a different story. Although Eluemunor played fairly well in the game, Watt was able to wreck the Giants’ hopes with two second-half sacks and a fumble recovery to help pin a loss on the Big Blue.

Eluemunor, in his spot on WFAN radio on Tuesday, believes he still got the better of Watt on the evening.

“I was on an island with him for a majority of the game. And he didn’t do a damn thing. I’m not gonna sit here and fricking sing his praises,” Eluemunor told hosts Sal Licata and Brandon Tierney.  “He didn’t do anything for three-and-half quarters and had one impact play.”

Yes, but that one impact play is the one people will remember. As we all know, offensive linemen only get shoutouts when they mess up.

Watt took the situation in stride and didn’t address Eluemunor by name.

“I mean, I have a lot of respect for every single player in the NFL,” he said. “Everybody works hard, and I’m just trying to get my opportunities when I get ’em and make the most of ’em when they happen.”

Watt’s official line on the night: six pressures, 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. All were impactful as the Giants’ offense sputtered again.

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Steelers’ T.J. Watt named AFC Defensive Player of the Week

T.J. Watt conquered the Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 8. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his elite play.

T.J. Watt is inevitable.  Opposing quarterbacks can hope and pray to contain him, but there is no stopping the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year.  QB Daniel Jones found this out the hard way when he was on the receiving end of two-sacks and a forced fumble from Watt in Week 8.

For his efforts in the Steelers’ victory over the Giants—compiling seven tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery—Watt has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Pittsburgh fans have enjoyed a plethora of elite pass-rushers in the Steel City, but T.J. personifies a hard-working attitude both on and off the field, arguably more than any Steelers player before him. 

In earning what is now his eighth-AFC Defensive Player of the Week award, Watt’s accomplishments continue to further cement his place among the all-time great defenders to ever play in the NFL.

While Watt is playing at an elite level, his pursuit of another D.P.O.Y award in 2024 is not his ultimate goal, but is instead to bring his team their seventh Super Bowl championship.

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Wisconsin legend wreaks havoc against Giants during ‘Monday Night Football’

Wisconsin legend wreaks havoc against Giants during Monday Night Football

Wisconsin great T.J. Watt notched another game-changing output in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 26-18 win over the New York Giants on Monday.

Roughly one week removed from a quiet performance against the New York Jets on ‘Sunday Night Football,’ Watt reminded onlookers of his defensive dominance before yet another national audience.

Watt registered five solo tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery against the Giants as the Steelers registered their sixth win of the season.

Watt’s most impactful sequence arrived in a crucial spot during the fourth quarter. With Daniel Jones and the Giants on the Steelers’ 19-yard line down just eight points, Watt sprinted past New York offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor to strip-sack Jones and flip possession.

Even though the Giants put together another possession in the fourth, the play essentially sealed the deal for Mike Tomlin’s squad. Watt now leads the league with four forced fumbles and remains the most dominant player on a defense many consider the NFL’s most elite unit.

Watt and company will be back in action against the Washington Commanders on Nov. 10.

Giants’ Daniel Jones failed to adjust protection on T.J. Watt strip-sack

New York Giants QB Daniel Jones failed to adjust protection before a game-changing strip-sack by T.J. Watt on Monday Night Football.

With just under 3:00 remaining in the fourth quarter on Monday night and facing a third-and-7 from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 19-yard line, T.J. Watt blew past New York Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor for a strip-sack on quarterback Daniel Jones.

Although the Giants would have one final opportunity to score, Watt’s sack effectively ended the game.

Watt is a dominant player but even to the untrained eye, there appeared to be something off about the play. And as it turns out, there was.

“(Watt) was supposed to be chipped,” head coach Brian Daboll told reporters. “Jermaine was anticipating a chip.”

Jones was supposed to shift rookie tight end Theo Johnson from the left side to the right side in order to chip Watt but that never happened. DJ got lost in the moment and never even saw Watt coming clean.

“We had a shift with the tight end to get back over to Watt and we didn’t get the shift,” Daboll said. “We talked about it in the locker room. DJ feels terrible to be honest with you. I know he’s going to own it. He came up here to say he owned it.”

It was a rookie mistake from Jones and it’s hard to fathom how it even happened. It’s not like Jones enjoys taking such a beating, so how he simply forgot to chip one of the best pass rushers in the league when that’s what the play was designed to do is baffling.

Still, Daboll credited Jones for being a competitor even after the veteran quarterback screamed at him following a botched two-point conversion attempt earlier in the game.

“Loved it. I loved seeing his competitiveness,” Daboll said. “He played hard. I thought he did a lot of good things and unfortunately at the end of the game there we had a couple turnovers. But I thought he played extremely hard, competitive, fiery and that’s what you want from a quarterback.”

Lip service. Everyone, Daboll included, knows Jones is in his final days with the Giants and he can’t be thrilled with either of those instances.

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Steelers’ DT to make history in Week 8 matchup

Steelers DT Cam Heyward will make history on Monday Night Football when his team hosts the New York Giants in Week 8.

No Pittsburgh Steelers defender bleeds Black and Gold quite like DT Cameron Heyward has in his 14 seasons with the Steelers. Heyward represents the Steel City honorably and continues to show younger generations of Steelers players exactly what it means to represent the city of Pittsburgh.

Teammate and 2022 Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt cemented his name in history this year when he became the second-fastest player to reach 100 career sacks, and now it is Heyward’s turn to make history.

Heyward will play in his 202nd game on Monday Night Football when his team hosts the New York Giants in Week 8, and that is more games played than any Steelers defender before him.

Heyward has played more games for the Steelers than all-time great Pittsburgh defenders ‘Mean’ Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Mel Blount, Troy Polamalu, Jack Ham, and L.C. Greenwood, just to name a few.

While Heyward will forever have his name in Pittsburgh sports history, he will look to accomplish for this city what all-time great Steelers’ defenders have done for Pittsburgh before him—bring a Super Bowl to the Steel City.

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