Steelers Fans Get Direct Response From PFF For TJ Watt Disrespect

The Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans have been frustrated with the media outlet Pro Football Focus (PFF) for not giving TJ Watt enough credit. They also feel that PFF has given Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett too much recognition. During the 2023 season, Watt led the NFL with 19 sacks, while Garrett had 14. Despite this, Garrett beat out Watt for the AP Defensive Player of the Year Award.

This decision further frustrated Watt and Steelers fans. One of the key metrics PFF emphasizes is pressures on the quarterback and pass rush win rate percentage, where they cite Garrett's performance as superior to Watt's. When PFF released their top 50 NFL players rankings, they placed Watt at 14th, while listing Garrett as the second-best player in the NFL, trailing only Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

This ranking upset Steelers fans even more and fueled the ongoing debate about who is the better player, Garrett or Watt. While both are undeniably great, Steelers fans argue that PFF is exaggerating the gap between the two stars. Sam Monson, a representative of PFF, defended the organization after being accused of having a vendetta against the Steelers and Watt.

"It's gonna be interesting when the NFL releases their top 100, the player voted thing," Monson said. "They tweeted out a bunch of the ballots of players having voted. I didn't see a single one that had T.J. Watt above Myles Garrett, and that's one of the things about last season that Steelers fans that are upset that we have this vendetta against T.J Watt have not found an answer to yet. Micah Parsons said Myles Garrett was Defensive Player of the Year. Inside the league, the players were siding with Myles Garrett over T.J. Watt."

Monson mentioned that Steelers fans will soon realize PFF has no vendetta against Watt, arguing that Garrett is simply much better, a sentiment shared by many players in the league, according to Monson. On Monday, the NFL revealed the first batch of players who made the top 100 list, with Steelers veteran Cam Heyward ranked as the 98th best player in the NFL heading into the 2024 season.

The top 100 players were voted on by NFL players, and it will be interesting to see where Watt ranks on that list compared to PFF's ranking. Monson highlighted that Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons sided with Garrett being better than Watt. While Parsons is knowledgeable and one of the greatest players in the NFL, his opinions are often controversial and not always backed by facts.

Monson did give Watt a lot of credit. Being ranked as the 14th best player in the NFL is a significant accomplishment, though many believe Watt deserves a higher ranking. Despite this, Monson offered kind praise for the Steelers' team MVP.

"He's probably the best pure big-play hunter amongst the edge rusher group. That guy does seem to have a knack of getting sacks, and getting forced fumbles, and getting turnovers in a way none of these other guys do," Monson said. "I'm willing to concede that he's been doing it for so long and so consistently that it's a trait. Normally I would say that's noise and variance and not something you can bet on one year to the other. Watt's been doing it so long now, I think it's fair to say he's got that ability to find those plays."

Steelers' TJ Watt Does It Like No One Else

Monson at least acknowledged Watt's ability to make big plays, which was a major point of contention for Steelers fans who felt he wasn’t getting enough credit. Beyond leading the league in sacks, Watt makes big splash plays that Garrett and Parsons often don't.

It's safe to say that PFF doesn’t have a vendetta against Watt or the Steelers. They do seem to favor Garrett, who is indeed a great player. However, the gap they perceive between Garrett and Watt is highly debatable. Both Watt and Garrett are dominant forces and offensive lines' worst nightmares. Steelers fans will not rest until Watt gets the full recognition they believe he deserves.

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