4 takeaways from Steelers dominant defensive display in win vs Browns
By Tommy Jaggi
T.J. Watt was challenging Myles Garrett for the best defender in football
Myles Garrett has been every bit as good as advertised since entering the league as the former number one overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He’s already off to a record pace to begin the 2021 season and is the frontrunner to be the Defensive Player of the Year… But not if T.J. Watt has anything to say about it.
Watt was taken 29 picks after Garrett in the same NFL Draft but has been equally as dominant early in his NFL career. These two players were visibly a cut above the rest during their Week 8 matchup against each other. However, it was Watt who finished with the better game.
Though Garrett had a quality sack and a few impressive quarterback hits, Watt produced similar results in the passing game while being utterly dominant against the run. This was also his second straight game that involved a fourth-quarter takeaway to help his team seal the victory.
Watt appears to be fully recovered from the groin injury he was dealing with early in the season, and his dominance on defense will help Pittsburgh stay in nearly every game this season.
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At the end of the day, Steelers fans can certainly be thankful for this team’s third straight win. There are still plenty of things they will have to improve upon, but at least Pittsburgh is trending in the right direction as they advance to a winning record for just the second time this season.