The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't put up much of a fight in Week 15 against the Eagles, but one matchup everyone was itching to see T.J. Watt against Lane Johnson. Two perennial All-Pros and future Hall of Famers were pitted against each other for perhaps the biggest one-on-one offensive lineman vs. edge rusher matchup of the 2024 NFL season.
Unsurprisingly, narratives were being pushed both ways after the game.
Steelers fans were enamored with Watt's two sacks and forced fumble recorded in this contest, while Eagles fans point to Johnson's flawless pass protection, as he was credited with zero sacks, pressures, or quarterback hits allowed in Week 15 against Pittsburgh.
The answer is that both players had a good game. Johnson understood this, and he'll be the first to tell you how hard it is to be left on an island with Watt.
"I'll tell you: All I was thinking about was T.J. Watt today," Johnson said via Zach Berman. "I didn't give a about anything else. Get off the ball and don't let T.J. Watt f—ing destroy the game. You watch that guy on every film, he's destroying football games. Hope he's OK. He's probably one of the best in the world."
This wasn't the only praise he gave to the Steelers' superstar pass rusher. The Eagles' post-game audio transcript records Johnson calling Watt 'the best I've faced' while talking about Watt's late-game injury scare.
"And so, yeah, man, you don't wanna see a player — or any player, much less him — go through any of that because I think he's probably the best I've faced," Johnson explained.
Lane Johnson's glowing endorsement for T.J. Watt shows Steelers star still has it
Last year, I had the privilege of sitting down for an interview with T.J. Watt. I asked the All-Pro edge rusher who the hardest offensive tackle he'd ever faced was, to which he replied Lane Johnson. Now we know the feeling is mutual.
Johnson's endorsement of Watt proves that the 30-year-old pass rusher is far from washed up. Against the Eagles, Watt made his presence felt, though it wasn't necessarily at the expense of making Johnson look bad.
When it comes down to it, these are two future Hall of Famers still going strong into their 30s. Despite only having two head-to-head matchups against each other in their legendary careers, both players once again proved why they are among the best in the league at their position.
Watt had an excellent game in Week 15 without dominating Johnson. But Johnson had zero problems telling the world how amazing T.J. Watt is and how he's probably the best player he's ever faced.