The Pittsburgh Steelers have a star in the making. Here’s why outside linebacker T.J. Watt was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month.
Steelers edge defender T.J. Watt is quickly emerging as the single most valuable player on Pittsburgh’s roster. After a remarkable breakout season in 2018 that consisted of 68 tackles, 13.0 sacks, 12 tackles for a loss, and 6 forced fumbles, Watt has escalated his performance in year three.
Recently, the Pro Bowl pass rusher was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month, according to the Pittsburgh Steelers official Twitter account:
T.J. Watt has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November.
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 5, 2019
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Watt has been more than deserving of this award for months now, as he is among the league leaders in sacks, quarterback hits, and tackles for a loss.
The 25-year-old budding star is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and has been a major part of a defense that has helped lead this team to a 7-5 record this season.
Watt is on pace to crush his numbers from a season ago. Through 12 games, he has compiled 12.5 sacks, 11 tackles for a loss, 5 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and an astonishingly high 28 quarterback hits. He has also earned the highest grade (91.0) of all NFL edge defenders this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Watt is truly on a rampage right now, and much like his older brother J.J., he seems to be destined for greatness. When factoring in his youth, athleticism, and insanely consistent production, there might not be an edge rusher in the league worth taking over T.J. Watt.
We all have seen how bad the Steelers offensive woes have been this season, but the defense has been spectacular thanks in large part to number ninety. Watt has a unique game-changing ability and there hasn’t been a game this season where he didn’t make his presence felt.
Watt’s AFC Defensive Player of the Month honor is well deserved, and something tells me it won’t be his last. This was a big leap forward towards what is sure to be his ultimate personal goal – earning the right to be called Defensive Player of the Year.