For 31 other NFL teams, their quarterback is the most valuable piece. The guy they most can’t afford to lose. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, that man is T.J. Watt. It’s just simple math. When Watt plays, the Steelers’ defense is ferocious like a lion. When he doesn’t, they whimper like a house cat.
After Watt went down with a partially torn pectoral in the 2022 season opener, the Steelers became a shell of themselves. No pass rush. Poor run defense. A group that played with little energy and zero splash. Watt returned after the bye and though he wasn’t anywhere close to 100 percent, Pittsburgh’s defense returned to form as the Steelers made one heck of a stretch run.