3 shocking statistics about Steelers star pass rusher T.J. Watt

The Steelers found a special player in pass rusher, T.J. Watt. Here are three shocking statistics about one of the league’s best defenders that you may not know.

If there was any doubt about the breakout year T.J. Watt had in 2018, fans of every team could put that to rest. There were many who questioned whether or not the Steelers pass rusher was as good as his production last year indicated. I think it’s now safe to say that he is better.

Watt had a phenomenal season in 2019 and is a top candidate to land the Defensive Player of the Year award. He has produced 14.5 sacks in 16 games this season and has taken the Steelers defense to heights it hasn’t seen since James Harrison and Lamaar Woodley were getting after quarterbacks in their prime.

To give you an example of just how good he has been, here are three interesting facts I compiled to show just how dominant T.J. Watt has been early in his career:

Watt has outpaced Khalil Mack and Von Miller over his first three years

Khalil Mack and Von Miller are considered two of the best pass rushers of this generation in the NFL. But would it surprise you if I said that T.J. Watt is outpacing them both in some areas? While Miller and Mack are likely future Hall-of-Famers, Watt has managed 34.5 sacks over his first three seasons – a higher mark than Mack (30.0).

While Watt does have fewer tackles for a loss and a half-sack less than Von Miller through his first three seasons, his 15 forced fumbles are 3 more than Miller’s and his 3 interceptions are more than the Broncos star has earned in his 9-year career.

Watt crushes James Harrison’s single-season milestones

James Harrison was one of the best outside linebackers to ever put on the black and gold for Pittsburgh. In 2008, he had a remarkable season that consisted of over 100 tackles and 16.0 sacks – earning him Defensive Player of the Year honors.

While Watt can’t match Harrison’s tackle total at this point in time, he has already broken a few of Harrison’s single-season milestones. Harrison was known for being the best in the league at stripping the football from the quarterback’s hands, but Watt’s 8 forced fumbles are more than Harrison ever earned in one season (7). Remarkably, Watt’s 36 quarterback hits this season blows James Harrison’s best mark of 21 out of the water.

Watt finished with more sacks and forced fumbles than the 2018 Raiders

Watt accomplished a lot of things this year that most NFL edge rushers can only dream about doing. One of those things he did was outpaced an entire team in sacks and forced fumbles.

Albeit a poor team, the 2018 Oakland Raiders managed just 5 forced fumbles and 13.0 sacks. Watt single-handedly crushed those numbers in his third season in the NFL, and he was just 12 quarterback hits shy of beating the entire Raiders team in that department as well.

The Steelers have a lot to be proud of when it comes to star pass rusher T.J. Watt. His remarkable milestones are only the beginning of what promises to an excellent career for the young pass rusher.