Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt has been impressive in his first two years in the league but ESPN is projecting a little bit of a step back this year, at least in terms of stats.
In 2018, Watt ended with 68 tackles, 13 sacks, and six forced fumbles. In 2019, the official ESPN projections for Watt include 65 tackles, nine sacks, and four forced fumbles. The one place ESPN sees an uptick is in fumbles recovered with ESPN projecting two of those this upcoming season.
Looking at stats it seems a bit shocking that they could go down, but that doesn't mean he is going to have a worse year than last season.
With play improving, it also means that offensive lines are going to put more attention on him. More double teams mean less stats for Watt, but more chances for others on the defense to take advantage.
Watt is also working on being more of a team leader for the defense after learning from others the first two years in the league.
“My rookie year I was really big on staying quiet and just working. My second year trying to prove myself, and I feel like I still haven’t fully proven myself”, Watt told reporters via Steelers Depot. “I feel like through what I have done around here, everyone sees the work I do and I can get in a leadership role and have a voice on this defense.”
If the Steelers are going to get back to a Super Bowl level, Watt is going to be a big key for their chances.
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