Tag: T.J. Watt

Key things to know about Chargers’ Week 3 opponent: Steelers

Here are some important things to know about the Steelers ahead of the Week 3 matchup with the Chargers.

The Chargers are on the road to face the Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 10:00 a.m. PT.

To get you prepped for the Week 3 bout, here are five key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

The man under center

The Steelers entered the spring with a quarterback battle between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, who were added by Pittsburgh during the offseason. Fields was named the starter because Wilson has been sidelined for the past two weeks with a calf injury. He has not surpassed 160 passing yards in both starts, but Fields has done a great job of taking care of the football, as he has not thrown an interception.

Struggling offense

The Steelers have yet to produce on the offensive side of the ball. They rank near the bottom in various categories in that department. While a few variables have attributed to the poor play, the offensive line and penalties have primarily hindered the unit. They’re the second-most penalized team in the NFL.

Dominant defense

This will be the game of defenses. The Chargers currently have the top-ranked defense and Pittsburgh is right behind them at No. 2. Like the Bolts, the Steelers are one of two teams that has given up only one touchdown through the first two weeks of the season. L.A. has had a lot of success running the ball, but Pittsburgh will be their toughest test yet, as they’ve allowed just 76.5 rushing yards per game.

Fearsome front

If trench play is something you enjoy, then you’re in for a treat. The Chargers offensive line has had its way, but the Steelers’ defensive line will pose a challenge. Edge defenders T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith have combined for three sacks. Defensive tackle Cameron Hayward has eight quarterback pressures.

Look out for…

Steelers secondary. Pittsburgh has the second-most interceptions in the NFL (4).

Former official tries to explain unfair treatment of T.J. Watt

T.J. Watt cannot get a break from the refs.

We have all seen the replays of Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt beating an offensive tackle off the edge, only to see the OT put him in a headlock and grab his shoulders just to slow him down.

Then we look for the officials to throw a flag and unfortunately, it rarely comes. Typically when it comes to star players, they get preferential treatment from the refs like quarterbacks getting soft roughing calls and wide receivers getting away with offensive pass interference on many players.

But this isn’t the case for Watt. In fact, according to former official Gene Steratore, it works the other way around.

“There’s the phrase, ‘They’re holding on every play.’ Yes, to some extent, they are,” Steratore said. “Does it rise to the level of a foul? And a lot of times with TJ, just because he is just so good, it’s like, ‘Yeah, it did rise to the level of a foul again.'”

So is he saying the foul happens but because it’s Watt they don’t throw the flag? As if to imply Watt will never get a fair shake from the officials because he’s just too talented.

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Steelers EDGE Alex Highsmith was a ‘pain in the rear’ for Denver

Alex Highsmith had one of the sacks of Broncos quarterback Bo Nix on Sunday.

When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, edge rusher T.J. Watt steals the headlines. After him, guys like Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joey Porter Jr. get all the attention. But Steelers fans understand just how valuable edge rusher Alex Highsmith is to this defense.

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton knows that as well. He called Highsmith a “pain in the rear” for the Broncos noting that the Steelers defense extends beyond just Watt.

What Highsmith does on defense doesn’t always show up in the boxscore but he is the guy who lines up opposite the opposing team’s left tackle all game long and gets their best.

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Highsmith finished Sunday’s game with four tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry. He and Watt had rookie Bo Nix under constant duress in the first half and it was pressure up front that forced the game-ending interception by safety Damontae Kazee.

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Wisconsin legend joins rarified air in Week 2 win over Denver Broncos

Wisconsin legend joins rarified air in Week 2 win over Denver Broncos

Wisconsin legend T.J. Watt is no stranger to the history books.

During the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 13-6 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Watt leapfrogged future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald for the fourth-most sacks through the first eight seasons of a career among any player since 1982.

Reggie White, arguably the greatest defender in NFL history, owns the No. 1 spot on the list with a staggering 124 sacks during his first eight seasons. 2009 Hall of Fame inductee Demarcus Ware lands at No. 2 with 111 sacks and storied NFL journeyman Jared Allen is at No. 3 on the list with 105 sacks.

Through just two games of his eighth NFL campaign, Watt’s sack total is up to 98.5. If he replicates his seasonal output from a season ago, he will pass both Ware and Allen for sole possession of No. 2 on the star-studded record sheet.

The 29-year-old finished Sunday’s win with three total tackles, one sack and one pass deflection. A week ago, he posted four tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery against Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons.

The Steelers, supercharged by Watt’s presence at outside linebacker, have allowed just 16 points this season. If the team can manage to sneak into the playoffs, the six-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time All-Pro would emerge as a front-runner to earn his second Defensive Player of the Year award.

A rattled Bo Nix gifted T.J. Watt a phantom sack after the Steelers star barely touched him

Bo Nix is REALLY scared of T.J. Watt.

It’s a young NFL season, but the Pittsburgh Steelers are already 2-0 on the strength of their elite defense. Hey, it’s a Mike Tomlin team. What did you expect?

On Sunday against the Denver Broncos, the Steelers flexed their muscles against rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Pittsburgh held the Denver offense to a 16.6 percent conversion rate on third down and picked Nix off twice — who also averaged a meager seven yards per pass attempt.

The best example of how the Steelers got into Nix’s head was during a critical pass-rushing sequence involving Perennial Defensive Player of the Year-caliber talent T.J. Watt. When Watt beat Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey off the edge, he couldn’t quite get a full grasp of Nix.

Instead, Watt just grazed Nix’s calf from the ground.

That didn’t stop Nix from throwing himself to the turf for the sack for no reason, anyway. That’s right, folks. We’ve got a PHANTOM SACK:

If there’s any consolation for Nix amidst his struggles, none of this year’s rookie NFL quarterbacks have thrown a touchdown yet, which includes Caleb Williams playing behind the Chicago Bears’ struggling offensive line. Nix can truly only go up from here.

But hanging your hat on other people’s failures is never good as a quarterback. At a certain point, Nix will have to show much more poise for the Broncos than he has so far.

Fans react to Bo Nix being sacked ‘by T.J. Watt’s shadow’

“Bo Nix just got sacked by TJ Watt’s aura.”

In the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix was sacked by pass rusher T.J. Watt. That’s not an abnormal sentence.

The nature of the sack was abnormal.

Watt rushed around the edge, beating Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey and taking a swipe at Nix while falling to the ground. The quarterback seemed to be barely touched but lost his balance and went down for a sack.

One fan commented on Twitter/X that Nix was sacked by Watt’s shadow:

“This makes Madden glitches look realistic,” another fan wrote.

In real time it did appear as if Watt missed Nix:

One fan commented that Watt sacked Nix “by breathing on him.” More than one fan said Nix was sacked by Watt’s aura.

Nix finished the game 20-of-35 passing for 246 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Watt recorded one sack in Pittsburgh’s 13-6 win.

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Steelers lead at halftime despite a pair of questionable calls by refs

The Steelers lead the Broncos 10-0 at halftime.

The Pittsburgh Steelers went into halftime against the Denver Broncos with a 10-0 lead thanks to tight end Darnell Washington’s first NFL touchdown and a short field goal but kicker Chris Boswell to close out the half.

Denver is probably fortunate to only trail by 10 after two very questionable calls against the Steelers on the team’s final drives of the half. Offensive tackle Broderick Jones had three penalties called on him in a single draft with the last being a very ticky tack hold that negated a huge reception by wide receiver George Pickens.

Then on the Steelers final drive, wide receiver Van Jefferson was called for a pick that negated a Pickens touchdown catch that looked no different than a play we see every team in the NFL run multiple times per game with no attention from the officials.

The Steelers defense was masterful in the first half. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has only 39 passing yards and Denver’s leading rusher is running back Tyler Badie who has 16 yards on one carry. Outside linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith each have a sack in the first half.

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Steelers T.J. Watt finally joining the Madden 99 Club?

EA might finally be showing T.J. Watt the respect he’s had coming for years.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans are used to their players getting the short end of the stick when it comes to the Madden video game series. Fans were especially upset this year when the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster ratings were released for Madden 25. However, after a dominant Week 1 performance, T.J. Watt looks like the closest NFL player to being added to the exclusive Madden 99 club.

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This prestigious group includes some of the NFL’s best at their respective positions, such as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, and Tyreek Hill. Steelers fans, along with fans of the video game, are keeping their reactions short and not-so-sweet: too little, too late. For years, Steelers fans have been clamoring for T.J. Watt’s inclusion, and at this point, it feels like a slap in the face.

Watt is approaching 100 career sacks. Should he get his 100th this week against the Denver Broncos he will be the fastest player to hit that mark not named Reggie White.

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Broncos prepare for ‘Aaron Donald-like’ disrupter T.J. Watt

“He kind of has a Aaron Donald-like effect on the game,” Broncos OC Joe Lombardi said of Steelers edge defender T.J. Watt.

T. J. Watt is one of the NFL’s best defenders.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ edge defender is a six-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro and one-time Defensive Player of the Year (2021). He led the NFL with 19 sacks last season and he will be a huge test for the Denver Broncos‘ offensive line on Sunday.

“I don’t get into naming who the top defensive players are, but he’s in that discussion,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Watt. “He’s certainly disruptive in the run game and disruptive in the pass game. Each film you look at, he’s beating doubles. He’s very athletic. I think he’s very strong, and he can bend. Those are all good traits to have, and he’s exceptionally smart.”

Watt totaled four tackles and a sack in Pittsburgh’s 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons last week.

“He kind of has a Aaron Donald-like effect on the game,” Denver offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said. “There are great players in this league, but there are just a couple guys that I can remember that are as disruptive consistently as this guy. So you better know where he is every play.”

Broncos offensive tackles Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey will do their best to keep rookie quarterback Bo Nix upright on Sunday. Payton and Lombardi would be wise to give those tackles extra support with double teams and chips against perhaps the NFL’s best pass rusher this week.

Watt isn’t the only disruptive player in Pittsburgh’s defense, either.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Nix said of facing the Steelers. “They have great players. They’ve been a great defense for a long time. I [have] a lot of respect for them. [It’s] going to be fun playing them for the first time and seeing what it’s like.”

Denver wide receiver Courtland Sutton is willing to do whatever it takes to beat Pittsburgh, even if it takes an unconventional game plan.

“Any chance I can to go impact the game, whether it’s catching however many passes, or catching a big touchdown or getting a key block in on a run play to get one of our backs out in the open, [I’ll do it],” Sutton said. “Whatever it may be, my job is to do my job at the highest level I can possibly can so that we can have the best success to go win. I’m probably one of the last people that’s going to be like, ‘It’s me, me, me.’ It’s going to take all 11 of us on the field, and whatever they need me to do in that specific moment, I’m going to go do it.

“If I have to go put my hands on T.J. Watt, then I’m going to go do that. If I have to go run a route and go get open against the secondary, then that’s what I’m going to do. Whatever job they need me to do, whatever task they need me to go do, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability so that we can go be successful.”

The Broncos’ game against the Steelers will be regionally televised on CBS. Denver is considered a betting underdog despite playing at home.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers get a visit from Pirates superstar rookie Paul Skenes

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes visits Steelers players and coaches at their training facility.

Rookie Pipttsburgh Pirates’ pitcher Paul Skenes has amassed a large number of accolades over his short tenure in Pittsburgh: the 1st overall selection in the 2023 MLB draft, a 2024 All-star selection, over 150 strikeouts, and arguably an accomplishment that no one had on their bingo cards, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s respect.

 

Paul Skenes visited the Pittsburgh Steelers’ training facility on Thursday and Pittsburgh sports fans were treated to a major, worlds-collide moment.  Skenes was introduced to a majority of the Steelers roster and even had a jersey swap with current Steeler and Pittsburgh legend, T.J. Watt.

Although the Pirates postseason hopes may be over, the Pittsburgh Steelers will look to continue the Pittsburgh tradition of winning this Sunday, as they take on the Broncos in Denver, at 4:25 pm EST. The Steelers come into the game 1-0 after an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The Broncos are 0-1 after an opening weekend loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

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