T.J. Watt named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November

Everyone can use a Watt.

That was something Mike Tomlin said when the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted T.J. Watt with their first pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Wisconsin product has proven he isn’t just the youngest in a line of NFL brothers, but is proving he earns every bit of respect his brother J.J. Watt and Derek Watt receive.

As if he needed more individual honors, Watt was recently named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for the month of November.

During the month, Watt had 18 tackles, including 13 solo stops, five and a half sacks, 17 quarterback hits, and three pass defenses. On top of that, 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.

Watt has proven to be dominant in every sense of the word, but challenges await Watt as he will now be without his pass rushing mate Bud Dupree. After Dupree tore his ACL in the Steelers’ Week 12 win over Baltimore, Watt can expect more double teams coming his way as there is less of a concern about the other side of the defensive front.

When Mike Tomlin was asked about this during his press conference Thursday, his answer spoke volumes.

“I don’t think T.J. Watt gets assistance from anyone in terms of his quality of his play.” Tomlin said. “T.J. makes his plays. I don’t think that’s going to be an issue at all. Guys like T.J. don’t depend on anyone.”

Watt and the Steelers defense are one of the best in the NFL, and as they sport a perfect 11-0 record heading into Week 13, their goals are big. Bigger than an AFC North title, bigger than an AFC Championship. The goal is a 7th Lombardi trophy, and Watt will be a big player in helping the team achieve that feat.

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for the Washington Football Team in Week 13.