Tag: T.J. Watt

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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Giants’ Jermaine Eluemunor vows to play vs. Steelers

New York Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor insists he will start on Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The New York Giants offensive line is reeling from the loss of All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas and now, as they head to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers and sack master T.J. Watt, could be without their right tackle, Jermaine Eluemunor, as well.

The free-agent lineman, who has played every offensive snap for the Giants this season, missed Friday’s workout with a hip injury and could possibly miss the game.

Eluemunor isn’t going down that easy. He told reporters on Friday that he would be “ready to go” come Monday night and that he was ‘”just sore.”

“Hell no,” the veteran lineman said when asked if would miss the game, per NJ Advanced Media.

Eluemunor would be the player that will see Watt the most in the game as he primarily lines up over the right tackle. If he can’t play, that responsibility will fall to former first-round pick Evan Neal.

Neal has not played a live snap in a game since Week 9 of last season. He injured his ankle and has been brought along slowly. He claims he will be ready when his number is called.

“My hunger never went anywhere,” Neal told the New York Post, tapping his chest with a closed fist. “But I understand that I can’t control a lot of my situation right now — I can’t sub myself into the game. I’m just ready. I’m not going to be too antsy. I’m not going to get in my head about it too much. If called upon, I’ll be ready.”

If Neal has to step in, the Giants claim they are confident in his ability.

“I’m confident in Evan,” Mike Kafka, the Giants’ assistant head coach and offensive coordinator told reporters on Friday. “Each day he’s continued to get a little bit better each day. I think that’s what we’re looking for, just consistent improvement, whether it’s his feet, his set, staying square, the punch, the finish, downfield with the run block and stuff. All of it, just like core fundamentals that we talk about.”

Neal will need all of those tools — and more — to fend off Watt and company but it doesn’t look like Eluemunor is ready to step aside.

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Steelers’ T.J. Watt has Giants on high alert in Week 8

The New York Giants, who allowed eight sacks last week, are girding ahead of their meeting with Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt this Monday night.

The New York Giants may lead the NFL sacks this season but all eyes will be on Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro pass rusher T.J. Watt this Monday night.

Watt, the younger brother of NFL great J.J. Watt, has led the league in sacks in three of the past four seasons and is the co-holder of the NFL single-season record (22.5 in 2021) with Giants Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.

The Giants’ current plan at left tackle is pretty much the same as last week, with Joshua Ezeudu lining up there. Watt is primarily positioned on the other side of the line, though, which would mean right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor will be tacked with keeping Watt off of Daniel Jones this week.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll fumbled Watt’s name when he was asked what the plan was to defend against him this week.

“Yeah, I mean, we could stay here for a long time talking about J.T. Watt. I’d say he’s unbelievable”, Daboll said. “T.J., you got me all flustered with the guy.

“You watch his tape and all the turnovers that he has and the style that he plays with. I mean, he’s one of the best players in the league. He creates issues in the run game. He creates issues in the pass game. He bats balls down. He jumps up and intercepts balls that you’d never think you could be intercepted. He’s got hustle, chase. He’s a dynamic football player. He’s one of the better defensive players in the league. He’s a problem.”

Giants guard Jon Runyan spoke about how Watt’s presence can upset an offense.

“T.J. mainly plays over the right tackle, but they have shown to move him as one of those floaters in the middle of the defense. He can pick and choose whatever gap or whatever guy he wants to play against. So, that’s something that you always have to be ready for,” he said.

“Jermaine has played against him a couple of times and I know he’s really confident going against him and it’s going to be a great battle between two great players and I’m excited to watch it.”

The player that will be in Watt’s crosshairs, quarterback Daniel Jones, knows he has to practically become a different player ignorer to combat the heat Watt and his teammates are planning to bring.

“Obviously, he’s a good player and I’ll be aware of where he is,” said Jones. “As a quarterback, I think my job is to feel the pocket, move in the pocket, and get the ball out on time. I can’t afford to look at the rush, look at him, or anything like that. So, trust the game plan, trust the scheme, trust the way it’s set up and then do my job, execute, and get the ball out on time.”

The Giants allowed the Eagles to sack their quarterbacks eight times last week. They are in for a much larger battle this week. We’ll find out soon if and how they can handle it.

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Is T.J. Watt running away with the Defensive Player of the Year race?

After two-forced fumbles and a dominant Week 6 performance overall, is T.J Watt running away with the D.P.O.Y race?

The wounds of the ‘Steel City’ faithful haven’t quite healed since T.J. Watt was snubbed for Defensive Player of the Year last season. To make matters worse, the award went to perhaps the most disliked man in all of Pittsburgh—Myles Garrett. Garrett’s impact on the Browns’ defense couldn’t be denied, but he was voted the 2023 D.P.O.Y with stats that, if Watt had produced them, Steelers fans would have considered it a down year. 

Fast forward to the current season, and Watt finds himself in a similar position—lower-than-usual sack numbers but dominant performances week in and week out. He’s currently in the top fifteen for sacks and leads this group of pass rushers in tackles. Watt also ranks in the top five for tackles for loss and is tied for first in quarterback hits, while also second in forced fumbles.

If Garrett won his award for being a game-wrecker in 2023, then Watt should absolutely be considered the favorite to win in 2024, as his presence on the field allows the defense not only to force turnovers but also to take over the game entirely. 

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Wisconsin legend dominates for Steelers in Week 6 vs. Raiders

Wisconsin legend dominates for Steelers in Week 6 vs. Raiders

Wisconsin defensive legend T.J. Watt registered another monster performance in a 32-13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

A week after posting eight tackles, one tackle for loss, three quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble in a narrow loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Watt forced a pair of fumbles and notched five solo tackles against the Raiders this weekend.

Watt, who turned 30 years old on Oct. 11, is as dominant as ever in his eighth season as a member of the Steelers. His first forced fumble arrived late in the second quarter when he executed a perfect punch against Raiders’ running back Dylan Laube.

https://twitter.com/steelers/status/1845573353312268487

Fellow former Badger Keeanu Benton recovered the fumble to flip possession back in Pittsburgh’s favor. The ensuing possession resulted in a three-yard rushing touchdown from Justin Fields and pushed the Steelers ahead 12-7.

Watt’s second forced fumble came within 30 seconds of the fourth frame when Ameer Abdullah attempted a one-yard rush to bring the Raiders within one score. The former Badger, however, had other plans.

Here’s the full sequence:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1845591785474584891

On the season, Watt has accumulated 25 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. The three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year recorded his 100th sack of his career a week ago. He and the Steelers will continue their 2024 campaign against the New York Jets on Oct. 20.

How long can the Steelers’ defense keep bailing out Justin Fields?

While the Steelers scored over 30 points of offense in their Week 6 victory, how much credit should be given to quarterback Justin Fields?

The Pittsburgh Steelers dominated the Las Vegas Raiders in their Week 6 contest, outscoring them with a final score of 32-13.  However, the score doesn’t do the defense justice, nor tell the whole story.

Fields’ athletic abilities have never been in question.  However, his overall quarterback play begs the question, would the Steelers have lost this game if not for T.J. Watt and the rest of the defense?

Watt’s two forced fumbles stopped the Raiders from scoring additional points and killed their momentum, as well as gift-wrapping the Steelers’ offense touchdowns.  An interception by CB Donte Jackson, as well as blocked punt by LB Jeremiah Moon, gave the Pittsburgh offense their scoring position.

While an argument can be made that Fields’ rushing ability helped push the offense, a similar counter-argument can also clearly seen that Fields cannot win games with his arm.  Some believe Fields shouldn’t be benched in favor of Russell Wilson, but Fields produced his worst passer-rating of the season today: 75.9 QBR, with an abysmal completion percentage of under 60%.

Wins should not be a quarterback stat, but Fields may have lost this team more games than Wilson would have.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin gives perfect 3 words on T.J. Watt’s impact

T.J. Watt continues to prove he’s the best defensive player in the NFL.

On Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers edge defender T.J. Watt didn’t get a sack against the Las Vegas Raiders. His detractors might point to that as a negative against him. But instead, Watt forced two fumbles and was the Steelers defensive catalyst for the 32-13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media and he summed up the impact Watt has on the defense perfectly with just three words.

“It is special,” said Tomlin.

Tomlin was then asked to elaborate on Watt’s game and it was tough for Tomlin to stick to his typical stoic attitude at postgame press conferences.

“I’m not surprised by it but it doesn’t make it any less amazing,” Tomlin continued.

Despite not having gaudy sack numbers this season, Watt’s impact on opposing offenses hasn’t diminished at all. He remains a frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year thanks to his ability to impact the game in so many different ways.

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