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Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has now joined a multitude of others in the claim that Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt is the “best” pass rusher in the NFL today.
In speaking during a press conference on Friday ahead of the Ravens’ AFC North clash with the Steelers in Week 18, Harbaugh was asked about Pittsburgh's pass rush success over the years. Harbaugh sees that Watt has played a monumental role in the Steelers’ ability to continually rank at the top spot in sacks as of late.
“Certainly, T.J. [Watt] is where it starts,” Harbaugh said. “He's the best pass rusher in football. He might be the best defensive player in football. He's having a phenomenal season. He's had, what, two, or three, or four phenomenal seasons?
“So, as long as he's been in the league, he just keeps getting better and better. They've led the league in sacks for the last three years in a row. So, this is a great pass rush team, and we're going to have our hands full with that. We're going to do our best.”
Watt has accounted for 41 percent of the Steelers’ total sacks on the year. He heads into Week 18 with an astounding 21.5 sacks recorded in 14 games played this season. The 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year contender needs a mere 1.5 sacks to break longtime New York Giants pass rusher Michael Strahan’s record (22.5 in 2001) for the most sacks in a single season.
Watt has had quite a bit of success in his career against the Ravens, which includes recording 3.5 sacks in the Steelers’ dramatic win in Week 13.
Regardless of whether Watt goes on to break Strahan’s record, he has already orchestrated an impressive resume for this year’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
