The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has struggled mightily in Watt’s absence but is that a surprise?
The Steelers‘ defense has struggled without TJ Watt and I can’t say for a second that I would expect anything different. While we could use a Tomlinism and say that the standard is the standard or that it is next man up in Pittsburgh we have got to be realistic. The Steelers are playing without the best defensive player in the league, furthermore, Watt is likely one of the 5 or 6 best football players in the world regardless of position.
With Watt in the lineup, Pittsburgh boasts a top 5 defense. Without Watt on the field, the Steelers’ defense suddenly looks like it would rank somewhere between 15-25. Yet, when you are going from the defensive player of the year to a guy like Malik Reed the differences are noticeable.
Steelers pass rush suffers without Watt
Not only did the Steelers lose the guy who tied for the all-time record of sacks in a season in 2021, but the Steelers also lost a guy that commands so much attention in pass protection. The Steelers accumulated 7 sacks in Week 1 against the Bengals. In Weeks 2 and 3 combined the Steelers have accumulated just 2 sacks. One of the biggest disappointments to me at this point would be Alex Highsmith.
You may be questioning my thoughts as Highsmith currently leads the league in sacks with 4.5. However, 3 of those sacks came in Week 1 against the Bengals with TJ Watt in the lineup. Highsmith was lucky enough to spend most of the game in a 1 on 1 matchup against Jonah Williams, who PFF has ranked as the 60th best Tackle in the NFL. With so much attention being paid to Watt, Heyward, and Ogunjobi, Highsmith got to take advantage of the situation.
By no means am I blaming Highsmith for the giant hole left in the middle of the defense. However, his lack of production after Watt’s injury compared to his production before Watt’s injury is a perfect example of Watt’s impact on the entire unit as a pass rusher.
No one on the defensive side of things is going to be able to do enough.
We can talk about trying to scheme around not having Watt or talk about reserves that need to step up however both of these options are unrealistic at this point. The only way to help the defense at the moment is for the Offense to perform significantly better. The Steelers have to extend drives and keep the defense fresh while putting up enough points to help the situation. At this point that seems less than likely.
With Watt, it goes beyond statistics. He is just so in tune with the flow of the game. He is one of the best in the league at making the necessary plays that change the whole flow of the game. Whether it is a timely interception, batted down pass, or strip-sack Watt seems to make something happen during the key moments and he turns the flow of the game into Pittsburgh’s favor. It’s going to have to be up to the offense to dictate the flow of the game and as of now they are not up to the task.