The Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers faced off in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season, and it wasn't close. This season holds great expectations for both teams. The Niners hope to return to the NFC Conference Championship and beyond, all while staying healthier than last year. The Steelers, on the other hand, will be looking toward second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett to take the next step in his development and another step forward in this new era of Steelers football. The 49ers had nearly all of their weapons, and they looked every bit the Super Bowl contenders they were billed to be in a dominant 30-7 win.

Despite the enormous expectations on offense, the biggest stars of this game were on the defense. T.J. Watt and Nick Bosa began their 2023 campaigns, holding each of the last two DPOY awards. Watt won it in 2021 and Bosa in 2022. Bosa just got big-time money from the Niners and is returning from a preseason holdout that doesn't have too many in San Francisco concerned. Watt is returning from an injury-riddled 2022 that made playing to his standards very difficult. Two of the best players in the league went at it, and the team results didn't tell the whole story between the two. Here's the tale of the tape.

Nick Bosa vs. T.J. Watt contracts

Nick Bosa is the man of the hour as far as contracts go, signing a record-breaking $170 million deal, the biggest by a defensive player in NFL history, ahead of Week 1, per CBS Sports. He spent camp holding out and got what he came for. Bosa's deal ranks as the tenth most expensive contract by total value in NFL history. Watt signed his deal back in 2021. He signed for four years and $112 million after his DPoY-winning season. Both guys are getting paid like the defensive monsters that they are.

Nick Bosa vs. T.J. Watt stats

GPTKLASTSCKINTFFFRFR TD
T.J. Watt882489080.562380
Nick Bosa5211741431820

Comparing Watt and Bosa purely on counting stats isn't ideal. Watt came into the league several years before Bosa, and while they've both had their battles with injuries, their relative time in the NFL has remained about the same. Watt has played significantly more games than Bosa has and, as such, has racked up significantly more sacks, tackles, interceptions, and forced fumbles.

However, sacks are the most significant statistic for edge rushers like these two. And while Bosa has paced the league in sacks the last two years, Watt, powered by his record-tying 22.5 sacks in 2021, still has Bosa beat, but just barely. On average, T.J. Watt gets a sack in 91.5% of games (80.5/88), while Bosa gets one in 82% of games (43/52).

Despite the 49er beatdown on Sunday, Watt won the head-to-head matchup with Bosa. Watt had about as dominant a performance as a defender can have in a game their team loses by three scores. T.J. Watt finished with a game-high five QB hits and three sacks, in addition to a pass defended, a fumble recovery, and another tackle for a loss. Bosa was quieter, letting his teammates enforce their will on a struggling Steelers offense. Bosa finished with a mere two tackles, while the defense as a whole had two picks and five sacks.

Nick Bosa vs. T.J. Watt careers

Nick Bosa and T.J. Watt have had eerily similar careers. Both were first-round draft picks as the younger brothers of elite NFL defenders already. Bosa went at two overall, while Watt went at 30. Both players have made the Pro Bowl every year except for one, and each has one DPOY award. Watt has likely had slightly superior individual success. His capturing part of the single-season sack record gives him an edge.

But Bosa has absolutely been part of better teams. Every year he has remained healthy, the Niners have gone on deep postseason runs, finishing with two conference title game appearances and one Super Bowl appearance. Neither has gotten to the top of the mountain yet, though, and each will be critical if they want to help their storied franchises write another chapter in the history books.