If one were to just look over the box score of the Steelers game, it wouldn’t be a remarkable performance from T.J. Watt. He failed to log a sack, and for an edge rusher, that typically signifies a good game or not. Watt may not have gotten to the quarterback, but he showed off once again why he is one of the best defenders in the league.
Twice in this game, Watt forced a key fumble by punching out the ball. Both times this meant stopping the Raiders from scoring, as they were driving and looking to cap their drive off with a touchdown.
Watt making a heads-up play and punching the ball out kept the Raiders out of the end zone and gave the ball back to the Steelers. His nose for the football single-handedly wrecked Las Vegas' hopes of mounting a comeback in Week 6.
T.J. Watt is always dynamic for the Steelers
It hasn’t been the usual dominance from Watt this season as a sack artist. Through six games he only has 4.5 sacks, and if he keeps that pace up he will project to record less than 13 sacks for the year, a low number for an elite edge rusher. That said, sacks don’t tell the whole story, and Watt is still a dynamic player for this team.
His job is to change the game, and he always does that. While a crucial sack is always hard to overcome by an offense, the two forced fumbles this week are arguably bigger plays. While the win was a lopsided one, either of those drives scoring changes the outlook of the game. Watt stopped those drives, just as a sack can do.
Let's not forget also the three sacks he lost out on in week one. In general, sacks will come in waves, and I fully expect Watt to end the season among the sack leaders in the NFL.
In the meantime, big plays like the two forced fumbles should keep fans reminded of just how special of a player he is. Watt is a generational player that we are blessed to be able to watch. This game is a friendly reminder of other ways that he stands out as a dynamic player.