T.J. Watt made history in the Steelers season finale against the Baltimore Ravens. Here’s what some notable players and media personalities had to say.
There was so much to root for in the Pittsburgh Steelers season finale against the Baltimore Ravens. With playoff hopes hinging on a massive Jaguars upset over the Colts, some fans were ready to throw in the towel for a higher draft pick… but not so fast.
According to FiveThirtyEight.com, the Steelers had just a 6 percent chance to make the playoffs prior to Sunday’s game. However, that quickly changed as Jacksonville stunned the nation with a 26-11 win over Indianapolis. With the Jaguars and Steelers both winning this week, Pittsburgh is almost guaranteed a spot in the playoffs (barring a Raiders-Chargers tie).
In addition to the massive win, Steelers fans were rooting for Ben Roethlisberger to have a big performance in the final regular-season game of his career. While his statistical production wasn’t ideal (244 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT), he showed up big in crunch time — leading his team to a 16-13 overtime victory.
Despite these reasons to watch the finale, fans were on the edge of their seat waiting to see if T.J. Watt could break the NFL single-season sack record. While he didn’t officially surpass Michael Strahan, he was able to tie him with a sack vs the Ravens in Week 18. His 22.5 sacks on the season put him in the rarest company of all time in this department.
Unsurprisingly, there were many who reached out right away to congratulate him — including his big brother and future Hall of Famer, J.J. Watt. Here’s Twitter’s reaction to T.J. Watt tying the NFL sack record:
T.J. Watt ties @michaelstrahan’s single-season sack record! (22.5) #HereWeGo
— NFL (@NFL) January 9, 2022
📺: #PITvsBAL on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/fqMJWJrFAV
No words, just proud.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) January 9, 2022
Unbelievable @_TJWatt
TJ Watt is such a beautiful Steeler. Just flat out phenomenal. I don’t know if I’ve been this excited to watch a dude put on that black & gold since 43 did. Gonna be an all timer & another in a long line of real true G’s of the Steel Curtain!! #Salute
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) January 9, 2022
T J Watt has missed 2 games so the it took 17 game crowd can go hide under rocks
— Booger (@ESPNBooger) January 9, 2022
Is T.J. Watt the best Watt ever?? 🤔
— Steven Cheah (@StevenCheah) January 9, 2022
Steelers have something to look forward to
Pittsburgh Steelers fans really have something to look forward to, and it’s not just the playoffs this year. We get the privilege of watching a historic NFL player set records before our very eyes, and this dominant run is only going to continue with the black and gold.
Watt is on a remarkable pace through the first five years of his NFL career, and he is entering uncharted territory in terms of the milestones he could soon break. After his play helped elevate the Steelers into the playoffs and tied the NFL single-season sack record, it’s pretty safe to assume that this season is also going to come with a Defensive Player of the Year award for Watt.
This is something that he will add to his already long list of accomplishments. In addition, Watt is sure to earn his third First-Team All-Pro honors, and one of the best defensive players of this generation is on the fast track to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
When it’s all said and done, I have little doubt that T.J. Watt will go down as one of the best Steelers players of all time as well as one of the best overall players to ever take the football field. Steelers fans couldn’t have asked for a better close to the 2021 regular season. Let’s hope we can keep this momentum going into the playoffs.