As a result, ripe with expectations usually reserved for franchise players, T.J. Watt,
the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, will return to the lineup on Sunday when the Steelers face the Saints at Acrisure Stadium at 1 p.m.
Watt was placed on Injured Reserve after suffering a chest injury in the game at the end of Week 1.
Bengals on September 11, dropped seven straight games and Pittsburgh (2-6) to win only one of them.
The linebacker suffered greatly in Watt’s absence, recording only eight sacks and five takedowns.
The Steelers The defense is currently 29th in the NFL, including 31st against the pass.
Can Watt make that much of a difference when he returns to the Steelers? We will soon find out.
We’ll see if Watt can take the pressure off Cam Heyward, a typically dynamic defensive lineman who has faced many other double teams, as the seventh man has set a new mark.
Speaking of standout guys, Alex Highsmith, the Steelers’ other starting outside linebacker opposite Watt, had an impressive three sacks in Week 1 in Cincinnati, but just 3.5 over the next seven games without No.
90 getting as much attention. I’ve said it often this season, the Steelers Looking at 2022 Pittsburgh and its issues, the defense was lackluster even without Watt.It’s not just an attack. It’s not just Kenny Pickett.
It’s not just Matt Canada.The defense deserves a much bigger talking point than it has been through eight games.
Hopefully Watt can’t just do the SteelersThe defense is once again efficient and powerful, but he could help the entire team step it up a few notches in the process.
I say that because it seems to be expected of Watt, a guy the Steelers decided to guarantee $80 million before the 2021 campaign.
When there was any doubt that Watt deserved that kind of money, he smothered it, as he often does with opposing quarterbacks, recording 22.5 sacks and, again, being voted DPOY.
The question is not whether Watt deserves what the Steelers are guaranteeing him.
The question is: Is he worth the high investment the franchise has made in itself? Will the investment pay off in the end? Is Watt the kind of difference-maker that he can take a depressed team — terrible offense and all — and elevate it to the next level?.
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