Consistent. Dependable. Fierce. Relentless.
Those are four characteristics any NFL coach would want from a player, and they are just four of the many characteristics that linebacker T.J. Watt brings to the table.
Watt has been on fire all season, something that hasn't gone unnoticed by his teammates.
For the second straight year Watt was voted the Steelers Most Valuable Player by those who matter most, the ones he practices and plays with. Watt is the first player to win the honor in back-to-back seasons since linebacker James Harrison did so in 2007 and 2008. He is also the sixth player in team history to win the honor in consecutive seasons, joining Harrison, receiver Hines Ward (2002, 2003), linebacker Levon Kirkland (1998, 1999), running back Jerome Bettis (1996, 1997) and quarterback Terry Bradshaw (1977, 1978).
Watt is having another season that has many talking about him being the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year, with a league leading 15 sacks. He is also on pace to break the Steelers single season sack record, currently sitting at 15 sacks, just one shy of tying James Harrison's record of 16 sacks set in 2008, and one and a half away from breaking it with one game left. He is the third player in the NFL to record at least 15 sacks, 23 tackles for loss and 40 quarterback hits in the last 15 seasons. Watt's older brother, Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (2012, 2014 and 2015) and Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (2018) also accomplished the feat and won NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
"T.J. is visiting from another planet, to be quite honest with you," said Coach Mike Tomlin. "He has freakishly unique talent coupled with freakishly unique work habits and mindset, and it produces what you guys witness every week, which in my opinion, is Defensive Player of the Year quality."
Watt, who was voted to the Pro Bowl for the second time, leads the NFL in sacks with a career-high 15, quarterback hits with 41 and tackles for a loss with 23, while adding 53 tackles, 43 of them solo stops, seven pass defenses, two forced fumbles and an interception.
Watt, the team's No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, is the first player in Steelers history with 14 plus sacks in multiple seasons, doing so in 2019 and 2020.
"He has a knack for getting to the quarterback. He has a knack for getting the ball out as well," said linebacker Avery Williamson, who loves what he has seen from Watt in just a short time. "He does more than just sack the quarterback. He gets the sack, fumbles. Fumbles from the running backs. He is definitely a phenomenal player. I am glad I get to play alongside him."
Watt has been solid all season, being named AFC Defensive Player of the Month twice, in September and November.
He started off the season strong, picking up from where he left off last year when he won the Steelers team MVP honor.
He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his Week 2 performance against the Denver Broncos. Watt had 2.5 sacks for a loss of 20 yards, four quarterback hits and four tackles. All of the sacks were against Jeff Driskel, who came in after Drew Lock left the game injured.
He was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for September after dominating opposing offenses in three straight games. Watt had three and a half sacks, 10 quarterback hits, nine tackles, three tackles for a loss, two pass defenses and an interception for the month.
"I think he's still writing that story," said Tomlin. "He was pretty awesome a year ago to be quite honest with you. I know he has an intention of being continually better, so he's still writing that story. His talents are just a part of the equation. His hyper-focus, his attention to detail, his awareness I think all add up to big playmaking ability and splash plays for us."
Watt was also named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November, which included games in Weeks 8-12, a stretch where the Steelers went 5-0, including three AFC North wins, two over the Baltimore Ravens and one over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Watt had 19 tackles, including 13 solo stops, five and a half sacks, 17 quarterback hits, and three pass defenses in November. He had two games with multiple sacks during the five-game stretch, including the Bengals and Ravens (Week 12) games when he had two each.
While Watt has amazing numbers, his main goal is just to win.
"We've said from the very start we want to make plays, we want to be great," said Watt. "We don't really care who makes the plays, as long as they are being made."
Steelers MVPs since 1969
1969 - Roy Jefferson, WR
1970 - Joe Greene, DT
1971 - Andy Russell, LB
1972 - Franco Harris, RB
1973 - Ron Shanklin, WR
1974 - Glen Edwards, S
1975 - Mel Blount, CB
1976 - Jack Lambert, LB
1977 - Terry Bradshaw, QB
1978 - Terry Bradshaw, QB
1979 - John Stallworth, WR
1980 - Donnie Shell, SS
1981 - Jack Lambert, LB
1982 - Dwayne Woodruff, CB
1983 - Gary Anderson, K
1984 - John Stallworth, WR
1985 - Louis Lipps, WR
1986 - Bryan Hinkle, LB
1987 - Mike Merriweather, LB
1988 - David Little, LB & Rod Woodson, CB
1989 - Louis Lipps, WR
1990 - Rod Woodson, CB
1991 - Greg Lloyd, LB
1992 - Barry Foster, RB
1993 - Rod Woodson, CB
1994 - Greg Lloyd, LB
1995 - Neil O'Donnell, QB
1996 - Jerome Bettis, RB
1997 - Jerome Bettis, RB
1998 - Levon Kirkland, LB
1999 - Levon Kirkland, LB
2000 - Jerome Bettis, RB
2001 - Kordell Stewart, QB
2002 - Joey Porter, LB & Hines Ward, WR
2003 - Hines Ward, WR
2004 - James Farrior, LB
2005 - Casey Hampton, NT & Hines Ward, WR
2006 - Willie Parker, RB
2007 - James Harrison, LB
2008 - James Harrison, LB
2009 - Ben Roethlisberger, QB
2010 - Troy Polamalu, S
2011 - Antonio Brown, WR
2012 - Heath Miller, TE
2013 - Antonio Brown, WR
2014 - Le'Veon Bell, RB
2015 - Antonio Brown, WR
2016 - Le'Veon Bell, RB
2017 - Antonio Brown, WR
2018 - JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR
2019 - T.J. Watt, LB
2020 - T.J. Watt, LB
