The Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-1, and their defense has been nothing short of abysmal.
This season marks the first time the Steelers have allowed 31+ points in their first two games since 1989, per Gerry Dulac. The Steelers are also 29th in yards per game and have allowed the fourth-most rushing yards through two weeks. On top of that, the Steelers have also allowed the most first-quarter points in the NFL dating back to Week 1 last season.
The defense was supposed to be the strength of the Steelers,
as it is usually billed as such. But after the additions of Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay, among others, Mike Tomlin said the defense could be “historic.” Well, right now, it’s on pace to be historically bad. And for the highest paid defense in football, it’s more than unacceptable; it’s pathetic.
The man who shoulders the lump of this load, though, is the player making the most money. T.J. Watt was given a three-year, $123 million contract extension in July, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL at the time of signing. He hasn’t lived up to that deal through two games – or even dating back to last season, for that matter.
Watt has now gone six games without a sack, his last one coming back on December 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles. This isn’t to completely discount the plays he made against the run, but the Steelers aren’t paying him $41 million to just get run stops; they expect him to be a major disruptor in the pass game. It would be like paying $100,000 for a Toyota Camry. Good car, but for that kind of money, you expect something much better.
Some may say it’s not fair to single out Watt, as the interior of the defensive line and linebackers have been far worse, and those are valid points. Keeanu Benton, Payton Wilson, and Patrick Queen have all been ghosts through two weeks. However, the point still stands that Watt is getting paid an ungodly amount of money to be a game-wrecking, result-altering player, and he hasn’t looked like one. The Steelers now get ready to head to New England – a place they haven’t won since 2008. With the Patriots’ offense coming off a big game against the Miami Dolphins and looking to get to 2-1 to keep pace with the Buffalo Bills, New England will come out swinging. Watt will be facing rookie left tackle Will Campbell. If he continues to struggle to get to the quarterback, then real trouble is afoot for No. 90.
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