T.J. Watt Rejoins the Defensive Player of the Year Race
Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt strengthened his Defensive Player of the Year case with two sacks against Cleveland in Week 8, bringing his season total to 7.5.
On November 4, Watt’s performance in Pittsburgh’s Week 8 win over Cleveland put him back among the leading contenders for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award. The Steelers sacked Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson eight times, with Watt accounting for two of them.
Watt is tied with Houston’s Will Anderson Jr. for the NFL lead in sacks, each with 7.5. Watt has also recorded 10 tackles for loss, the third-highest total among defenders.
His average time to pressure is 2.46 seconds, matching Anderson’s figure. The cited SumerSports data places that mark just behind Minnesota’s Dallas Turner, at 2.4 seconds. The account notes that reaching a quarterback within 2.5 seconds can raise the likelihood of disrupting a play.
Anderson is also among the league’s top defenders, with 33 tackles, a pass breakup, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Buffalo’s Greg Rousseau has seven sacks, nine tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.
Chicago’s Jeffery Simmons, acquired in a trade from Tennessee, has 44 tackles, five sacks, 32 pressures on quarterbacks, one forced fumble and a recovery. Other names mentioned as award candidates include Baltimore safety Kyle Hamilton, Cleveland cornerback Denzel Ward and Rams safety Quentin Lake, who has made 56 tackles, intercepted three passes and defended 11 through eight games.
Players: Deshaun Watson, T.J. Watt, Denzel Ward, Jeffery Simmons, Greg Rousseau, Quentin Lake, Kyle Hamilton, Will Anderson Jr., Dallas Turner