The former Badger earns high honors from the Big Ten Network
Another former Badger is earning high honors from the Big Ten Network. Current Steeler and former Badger T.J. Watt has been named to the Big Ten All-Decade second team.
Ever catch yourself thinking about how great @_TJWatt's 2016 season was?
Watt had quite the journey to stardom in Madison. After entering Wisconsin as a TE, he suffered a knee injury in 2014. In 2015, before the year began, Watt made the switch to LB and the rest is history. During his only full year at LB in 2016, Watt recorded 11.5 sacks, 63 total tackles, and was named as a First-Team All-Big Ten selection.
Watt joins Melvin Gordon on the Big Ten Network All-Decade second team.
The first, to nobody’s surprise, was quarterback Russell Wilson to the Detroit Lions at No. 3 overall.
The only two players drafted ahead of Wilson? The league’s last two MVP winners: Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes.
PFF writer Eric Eager described his thought process when drafting the former Badger:
“You made my decision a lot easier because I was ready at [Pick] 3, picking for the Detroit Lions. … Wilson and Mahomes come off the board and I’m like, do I have to make this tough decision between Brees, Rodgers, Ryan? And I was going to go with Lamar at No. 3 — so we’re on a similar wavelength — but I don’t have to make that decision anymore because I’m going to go with Russell Wilson now that he’s landed in my lap.” – Eric Eager
The second Badger selected, then, was outside linebacker T.J. Watt to the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 59 overall.
Watt, like Wilson, has a few years under his belt in the league but seemingly reaches new heights every time he touches the field.
Will we see his brother J.J. selected? Probably not as J.J. lacks the youth needed to be selected in an imaginary re-draft, youth that helps T.J. and Wilson project as centerpieces on their teams for years to come.
Check back in for an update as the draft continues through four rounds.
Today we’re switching to the defensive side of the field and forming a defense of former Wisconsin Badgers currently playing in the NFL.
(Side note: an executive decision was made to play a 3-4 defense and make a few minor position adjustments).
Defensive end: JJ Watt, Zack Baun
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) against the Kansas City Chiefs in a AFC Divisional Round playoff football game at Arrowhead Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Along with the obvious selection of J.J. Watt, the only true defensive end out of Wisconsin in the NFL today, I moved Zack Baun and his impressive pass-rushing ability from outside linebacker down to defensive end to play across from Watt
Not much needs to be said about Watt and his Hall of Fame-level NFL career thus far, as the Wisconsin native was included in NFL.com’s all-decade team and is now entering his tenth year in the league after having made five Pro Bowls and received five first-team All-Pro nods.
Baun, on the other hand, is an incoming rookie but has the versatility to fill this team’s open slot at defensive end. Much is said about Baun’s pass rush ability–one which led him to record 12.5 sacks last season–but he is also a more-than-adequate run defender and would be a valuable versatile piece to add to this defensive front.
Next is who the defense will deploy at defensive tackle.
Now diving deeper, here are games to circle for Badger fans on the newly-released schedule, ones which see head-to-head matchups between Wisconsin products both young and old.
September 13, 2020: Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars
Wisconsin legend Jonathan Taylor begins his NFL career against the Jaguar defense and middle linebacker Joe Schobert, a Badger from 2013-2015.
September 20, 2020: Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Broncos and their newly-signed running Melvin Gordon travel to Pittsburgh Week 2 and face T.J. Watt and the Steelers’ defensive line.
Though the two were never teammates on the field in college, it is a matchup of two former Badgers who are both premier players in the league at their position.
September 27, 2020: Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints
Right tackle Rick Wagner and the Packers travel to New Orleans in Week 3 to battle against the Saints and their rookie linebacker Zack Baun.
Baun will be used all over the field for the New Orleans defense but his most likely role will be on the edge as a pass rusher. Though the Packers somehow only have one former Badger on their roster, this matchup should see their right tackle Wagner–a Badger from 2009-2012–face off head-to-head with the rookie Baun as he works to protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
September 27, 2020: Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots
This is one of my favorite matchups to watch as the Raiders and fullback Alec Ingold look to find success in the run game against the Patriots and defensive tackle Beau Allen, a Badger from 2010-2013.
October 11, 2020: Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers and newly-acquired fullback Derek Watt look to open up their ground game against an Eagles defense led at linebacker by former Badger T.J. Edwards.
October 25, 2020: Houston Texans at Green Bay Packers
Like the Packers’ Week 3 matchup against the Saints, their October 25 contest against the Texans will see Wagner trying to block a former Badger in J.J. Watt.
November 30, 2020: Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles and starting middle linebacker T.J. Edwards will look to slow down the Seahawks and Wisconsin legend Russell Wilson.
December 6, 2020: New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks
For the second consecutive week Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will stare down a former Badger across the line in Giants middle linebacker Ryan Connelly.
December 6, 2020: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans
This is an intriguing matchup between two former Wisconsin legends in running back Jonathan Taylor and defensive end J.J. Watt.
Nobody really knows how the rookie Taylor will perform in the NFL but if his talent and college production is any indication, Watt will have his hands full when the Colts come to town in December.
December 10, 2020: New England Patriots at Los Angeles Rams
The Patriots and newly-signed defensive tackle Beau Allen look to get past Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein, a Badger from 2010-2014, and put pressure on quarterback Jared Goff.
December 27, 2020: Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers
The same story as the Colts’ December 6 contest in Houston, Taylor will look to finish his rookie year on a strong note as he faces the Steelers and former Badger T.J. Watt.
This list may change as the season progresses, as current depth options including Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus, Eagles running back Corey Clement, Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz, Panthers linebacker Chris Orr, Raiders cornerback Nick Nelson and others could move into starting roles and set themselves up for head-to-head matchups against fellow Wisconsin products.
The Badgers have developed three-star talent into NFL draft picks at a higher rate than nearly any other program over the past five years
[lawrence-newsletter]Following the 2020 NFL draft, a draft that continued to prove just how successful modern-day recruiting sites are at evaluating talent, there was a lot of talk about how much stars matter. How much more likely is it that a five-star player makes it to the NFL over a four-star player? What are the chances that a three-star recruit makes it? Did the 2020 NFL draft show how much or how little recruiting stars matter? These are all questions that can be easily answered with a few data points.
The general answer to the big question of how much does being a four or five-star recruit impact your chances of being drafted early is a ton. In fact, the recruiting era had arguably their best draft ever in 2020. According to 247sports rankings, four and five-star recruits make up just six percent of all recruits who were draft eligible in 2020. Despite that, 66% of first round picks were four and five-star guys in 2020. According to Bud Elliot of 247sports, based on 247sports rankings and how the first round of the 2020 NFL draft went, you would have a one in five chance (20%) of being drafted in the first round as a five-star recruit. As a four-star, that number dips to one in 21 (4.7%), and as a three-star it plummets to one in 184 (.05%).
At Wisconsin, however, you would have one of the best chances in the nation of being drafted as a three-star over the past five years. According to SportSource Analytics, Wisconsin ranks second in the nation in terms of three-star recruits drafted over the past five drafts.
The 16 three-star Badger recruits drafted over the past five years include a pair of first and second round picks. Current Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt and new Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor were both consensus three-star recruits. Watt defied the .05% chances and was taken in the first round of the 2017 draft, while Taylor was selected just last week in the second round.
The numbers make a strong argument for the validity of recruiting sites and stars, as well as showing how well Wisconsin has developed talent over the past five years.
In a season when the defense carried the team, it is only right the Pittsburgh Steelers select the best defender for team MVP. The team announced on Thursday, linebacker T.J. Watt is team MVP as voted on by his teammates.
Watt is having a remarkable season with 14 sacks to go along with 50 tackles, two interceptions, seven passes defended, seven forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. Watt is the first offensive player to be selected for team MVP since safety Troy Polamalu in 2010.
1969 WR Roy Jefferson
1970 DT Joe Greene
1971 LB Andy Russell
1972 RB Franco Harris
1973 WR Ron Shanklin
1974 S Glen Edwards
1975 CB Mel Blount
1976 LB Jack Lambert
1977 QB Terry Bradshaw
1978 QB Terry Bradshaw
1979 WR John Stallworth
1980 SS Donnie Shell
1981 LB Jack Lambert
1982 CB Dwayne Woodruff
1983 PK Gary Anderson
1984 WR John Stallworth
1985 WR Louis Lipps
1986 LB Bryan Hinkle
1987 LB Mike Merriweather
1988 LB David Little/CB Rod Woodson
1989 WR Louis Lipps
1990 CB Rod Woodson
1991 Greg Lloyd
1992 RB Barry Foster
1993 CB Rod Woodson
1994 LB Greg Lloyd
1995 QB Neil O’Donnell
1996 RB Jerome Bettis
1997 RB Jerome Bettis
1998 LB Levon Kirkland
1999 LB Levon Kirkland
2000 RB Jerome Bettis
2001 QB Kordell Stewart
2002 WR Hines Ward/LB Joey Porter
2003 WR Hines Ward
2004 LB James Farrior
2005 NT Casey Hampton/WR Hines Ward
2006 RB Willie Parker
2007 LB James Harrison
2008 LB James Harrison
2009 QB Ben Roethlisberger
2010 SS Troy Polamalu
2011 WR Antonio Brown
2012 TE Heath Miller
2013 WR Antonio Brown
2014 RB Le’Veon Bell
2015 WR Antonio Brown
2016 RB Le’Veon Bell
2017 WR Antonio Brown 2018 WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
The Steelers want to make Jets quarterback Sam Darnold as uncomfortable as possible when they come to MetLife Stadium in Week 16.
Remember when Sam Darnold said he was seeing ghosts against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football?
The Steelers want to make that happen again in Week 16.
Darnold was beyond rattled against the Patriots, as New England kept him off balance and running for his life with a variety of blitz packages and defensive formations. He has settled back in since his infamous Monday night admission, but members of the Steelers’ defense believe they can get the second-year signal caller rattled when they come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
“That’s the plan,” Pittsburgh safety Terrell Edmunds said on Wednesday. “Just put a lot of people in his face, hopefully make him make some false throws and get turnovers. That’s our gameplan. That’s just how we play the game every week. So that’s how we are trying to carry it out.”
Pittsburgh certainly has the personnel to make Darnold uncomfortable this weekend. TJ Watt is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, while Bud Dupree has undergone somewhat of a career renaissance in 2019. Veteran cornerback Joe Haden is also a key contributor in the secondary, giving the Jets a ballhawk they’ll have to account for at all times.
“We’d like to try to confuse him,” Haden said. “He’s still a [second-year] quarterback. So we’re trying to not just stand out there and let him know what defense we are in. Just trying to keep him on his toes. Once he snaps the ball, get a little movement in, so he has to realize what [type of coverage] we are in during the play. Just trying to hold our disguises and move around and keep him thinking.”
Whether or not Darnold sees ghosts against the Steelers, he’s going to have to play his best football against a Pittsburgh team fighting to keep its playoff hopes alive if he wants to lead the Jets to their sixth victory of the year.
Stephon Gilmore may win DPOY but the better bet may be T.J. Watt based on the history of the award.
Most Valuable Player should essentially be called Best Quarterback in the NFL. As for Defensive Player of the Year, that’s recently been Best Lineman or Edge Player of the year. Since 2008, a non-lineman or edge rusher has won the award three times — Charles Woodson, Troy Polamalu, and Luke Kuechly. The award has been given out every year since 1971, and in that time a cornerback has only won the award five times. Winners have normally been linebackers or defensive linemen. Which brings us to 2019 and Stephon Gilmore. If history is any indicator, Gilmore has a tough shot at winning the award.
The DPOY race looks like it’s going coming down to Gilmore and T.J. Watt with Danielle Hunter with an outside shot. That’s two defensive linemen/edge players and one corner. There are definitely arguments for Gilmore who has been a shutdown corner all year and is considered one of the best players at his position. I say one of the best players because there is another corner who can make an argument he’s been just as good as Gilmore.
If we go by historical precedence, Watt is going to win the award. He’s been the best player on one of the best defenses in the league. He has 13 sacks, 14 tackles-for-loss, six forced fumbles, and two interceptions. The Steelers have a history of DPOYs. Watt plays a position that normally gets the DPOY the year nod.
Per Doug Farrar — in his great breakdown of Stephon Gilmore v. Tre’Davious White — Gilmore’s stats have been pretty good — and that’s an understatement:
“Gilmore: 38 receptions allowed on 82 targets for 444 yards, 152 air yards, no touchdowns, six interceptions, and that 32.8 passer rating allowed.”
Still, Gilmore has an uphill battle. Cornerbacks simply aren’t normal DPOY candidates. Darrelle Revis never won a DPOY and that’s the last time we’ve seen this type of dominance from a cornerback. Of course, Revis’ best year was the last time a cornerback won the award but it was Woodson who took it home. If we were making comparisons to the MVP award, defensive linemen are quarterbacks, linebackers are running backs, and corners are receivers. Gilmore is trying to flip that narrative on its head.
Sam Darnold’s performance typically ties directly to the Jets offense’s ability to score points this season.
Despite the box score, the Jets’ offense looked decent against the Ravens in Week 14.
New York moved the ball well, but it failed to capitalize on a couple of quality scoring opportunities. The Steelers will be another tough test, featuring a third-ranked in total defensive DVOA per Football Outsiders and top-five pass and run defense DVOA. The Jets will need to lean on Sam Darnold to execute the offense and find gaps in the defense.
The biggest issue will be pass protection against one of the most ferocious pass rushes in the league. Pittsburgh knows how to get to the quarterback thanks to breakout linebacker T.J. Watt as well as defensive tackle Cameron Heyward and rookie linebacker Devin Bush. If the Jets can give Darnold room to operate behind the line of scrimmage they could find ways to score.
With that being said, let’s take a look at what it’s going to take for New York’s offense to thrive in Week 16.
Get Sam Darnold going
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Without a reliable running game, the Jets need their young quarterback to step up and build sustained drives to put them in a position to put points on the board.
The Jets are significantly better when the passing game is clicking. They’re 5-1 and are averaging 22 points per game when Darnold throws for at least 250 yards. New York 1-6 and with 13.1 points per game when he totals below 250 passing yards.
Darnold looked solid against a tough Ravens defense despite only mustering 14 points. He led the Jets deep into Ravens territory five times, but a missed field goal, a failed fourth-down conversion and an interception took three potential scores off the board. The Steelers provide an equally difficult test as they allow only 204.1 passing yards per game and haven’t allowed at more than 250 passing yards since Week 6.
Buffalo Bills opponent information on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The Bills find themselves in a wonderful predicament, but could be all for naught if they can’t find a win over the next three weeks. The 9-4 Buffalo Bills meet the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football, their first appearance in that primetime slot in some time. Major playoff implications are at stake here, as a Bills loss can knock them back a spot in the Wild Card Race, though still in by a hair.
This is easily the biggest Bills-Steelers match up in some time, so let’s get into their history, statistics and more:
The Bills and Steelers first met on Oct. 11, 1970, in Pittsburgh, with the Steelers winning 23-10.
They met in the 1974 postseason, with Pittsburgh taking a 32-14 win in that game.
The Bills won five straight games against Pittsburgh, from Nov. 9, 1986 to their 1992 AFC Divisional Round Game on Jan. 9, 1993.
Buffalo and Pittsburgh also met in the 1995 AFC Divisional Playoff Game, with the Steelers winning 40-21.
The Bills have not defeated the Steelers in the 21st Century, with their last victory over them on Oct. 10, 1999, in a 24-21 victory.
Buffalo had an opportunity to make the post-season in the 2004-05 season. In a “win and your in” scenario. The Bills starters failed to defeat the Steelers backups, who were 14-1 heading into the final game of the season. Pittsburgh beat Buffalo 29-24, in Buffalo.
Their most recent encounter was a 27-20 win for Pittsburgh, in Buffalo.
Pittsburgh leads the all-time series, 16-9, including playoffs.
2019 So Far
In what has been a challenging year for the Steelers, including their fallout with Antonio Brown, losing Le’Veon Bell, and Ben Roethlisberger succumbing to season-ending injury in Week 2, somehow, the Steelers are still in the playoff picture, and have some favorable circumstances going for them. This season has been a massive testament to Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s ability to lead men on a football field, and is certainly a candidate for Coach of the Year.
Pittsburgh began the season with a blowout loss to the Patriots in the opening Sunday Night Football game for 2019. A 33-3 loss on primetime was no way to start the season, especially with many questioning how Pittsburgh would be effected by the losses of Bell and Brown. From there on, two more losses, a close one against Seattle, 26-28, their last game with Big Ben under center for this year, as well as a 20-24 loss to the 49ers. All three quality teams, and playoff teams at that, right now, in Week 15. Not too shabby for a team of backups despite the losses.
They earned their first win on Monday Night Football in Week 4 against the Bengals, a dominant win against a team that only has one win to it’s credit so far this season. This is also when the Steelers traded for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, a trade that turned around their defense.
However, since that Bengals win, Pittsburgh has only lost twice. To the Baltimore Ravens, a 23-26 loss in overtime, and to the Cleveland Browns in Week 11, a 21-7 loss that ended in a chaotic situation.
Pittsburgh has defeated the Chargers, Dolphins, Colts, Rams, Bengals again, Browns and Cardinals, and face a relatively favorable schedule these last three weeks. They hold criteria over a few teams that are breathing down their neck, and a win over the Bills would nearly secure their playoff aspirations.
Currently, Pittsburgh is the 29th ranked offense, with 3,771 yards of total offense. They are 31st in passing, with 2,541 pass yards and 25th in rushing with 1,230 yards on the ground.
It’s truly impressive how successful that Pittsburgh has been, especially with their personnel under center. Three quarterbacks have taken snaps for the Steelers in 2019. Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph, and most recently and successfully, Devlin Hodges. The Bills had four last season and their season was not a success.
Rudolph’s tenure as starting QB was enough for him to be at 31st in the NFL in passing yards with 1,636 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions. He had a 5-3 record as a starter. In three starts, Hodges is 3-0, and 39th in passing yards with 682 passing yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Roethlisberger had 351 passing yards, zero touchdowns and one interception in his tenure.
It hasn’t been a great year for last year’s emerging rush sensation, James Conner. Conner was a certified stud in 2018, filling in seamlessly for the boycotting Bell. This year has been drastically different, with injuries. James Conner is currently ranked 44th in the NFL amongst rushers, leading Pittsburgh with 390 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Benny Snell is next up in rushing leaders for Pittsburgh with 320 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Snell is ranked 49th in rushing.
Pittsburgh’s highest ranked receiver in yardage, is James Washington, who is currently ranked 50th in the NFL. He has accrued 611 yards receiving on the year, Next in line, Ju-Ju Smith Schuster, who is ranked 63rd in receiving yards, with 524 yards. Schuster has dealt with injuries all year, and has not been able to handle the workload of being a No. 1 WR with Brown leaving, and it has harmed him statistically.
One aspect that is keeping the Steelers alive and well in the playoff race is their defense, which is star studded. They are the fifth ranked defense in the NFL, allowing 4,042 yards of offense against them. Pittsburgh is also the fifth ranked passing defense, allowing 2,727 yards by air, and they are eighth in rush defense with 1,315 yards allowed.
Their defense is led by talents of T.J. Watt, Joe Haden, Bud Dupree, Cameron Hayward, Fitzpatrick, and many others.
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