Against Browns, Steelers’ T.J. Watt gets to show off oft-overlooked run-stop ability
T.J. Watt’s bona fides as an elite pass rusher need no explanation. Watt has 11 sacks in his past 19 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and, barring injury, he’s well on his way in joining Reggie White as the only players in NFL history to have four consecutive 13-sack seasons.
But there’s another, often-overlooked aspect of Watt’s game that figures to be highlighted Sunday when the Steelers play at the Cleveland Browns. At 170.4 yards per game, Cleveland leads the NFL in rushing offense. Watt is looking forward to that challenge.
“It’s trying to find ways to make impacts in other ways of the game than just passing game,” Watt said after practice Friday. “This week is a great example of that. We know they’re a run-first football team. We know how much they like to stick to the run even if it’s not effective early in games. It’s been working for them. We need to hunker down, focus on the run, stop the run in order to get those opportunities in the passing game.”
Some of the outlets that evaluate such things are rating Watt to be almost as good against the run and he is against the pass. ESPN, for example, has Watt fifth among all NFL edge defenders in “run stop win rate” (34%). Pro Football Focus’ grades put Watt in the top 20 as a run defender.
Neither of those rankings are as effusive of Watt as their counterparts for the respective metrics for pass rushing skills — Watt is No. 1 in the league in the ESPN numbers, No. 5 by PFF — but it helps prove Watt is no proverbial one-trick pony.
He knows the skills against the run are necessary when playing Cleveland, which on Sunday welcomes Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb back to game action after Chubb had missed the past two games because of a calf injury.
“They have a great scheme,” Watt said, “and they have (offensive linemen) that have bought in and looks like they’ve practiced their run fits often as an offense. And it shows.”
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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