T.J. Watt: Pittsburgh Steelers’ not-so-secret weapon to take down Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes

Can record linebacker T.J. Watt help the Steelers defeat star quarterback Mahomes and the Chiefs in the AFC Wild Card game at Arrowhead Stadium? Find out live on Sky Sports NFL from 1:00 Monday.

Ahead of the AFC Wild Card showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs, the focus will inevitably be on the battle between quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes.

However, if the Steelers send Roethlisberger to Sophie Stadium on Feb. 13, in what many believe will be the 39-year-old’s last season, then many of those hopes could rest on the man’s considerable shoulders. he was voted the franchise’s MVP by his teammates for the third year in a row.

Trent Jordan Watt, better known as “TJ”, is not only the heart of Pittsburgh’s defensive unit, but has become one of the most dominant defensive players in the NFL. That was underscored by the fact that he tied the record for most single-season overtime sacks last Sunday in a 16-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens, helping to secure an incredible playoff berth on the final day of the regular season.

“In short, it just speaks to his level of dominance, where he is in his career in terms of talent and experience, and how to find the intersection between experience and youth,” the head coach said last week. “Steelers” Mike Tomlin, reflecting on Watt one day. again received recognition from his teammates.

“He is young enough and he has the gas to do what he needs to do. He is in the prime of his career. He has gained enough experience to play the game above the neck and make big decisions in situations that allow him to play the splashes we think of when we think of him.

“And his teammates just understand that we are talking about a guy who was third in a few years ago. [NFL] Voting for the best defender of the year; last year he was second in the voting, and this year he is the favorite.

“So, from the team’s point of view, this obviously gives him the opportunity to potentially become MVP, and his teammates are stating the obvious.”

Watt’s 22.5 sack record when he beat Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley in the second quarter last Sunday equaled the record set by former New York Giants defenseman Michael Strahan back in 2001, and he could well have beaten it in the first quarter. hitting Huntley was not considered a forced fumble.

To put this in some context, even the great Lawrence Taylor, the only linebacker named NFL MVP, has never hit more than 20.5 sacks in a season, and that was in 1986 when the Giants’ game-changing icon was the best in the game. league. player.