The JJ Watt Sweepstakes

Author: Matt Iberger

Editor: Aaron Mesco

It’s the end of an era for Houston. J.J. Watt, the golden child of both the Texans franchise and the city of Houston itself, will become a free agent as both sides agreed it was in their best interests to be let go. Of course, we can rag on the Texans for not getting anything in return for their star DE, but it seemed at the end of the day it was less of a headache for both sides if he was simply released and found his next team on his own. Where does the NFL star go next, and is the J.J. Watt phenomena we have in our minds still the JJ Watt we see on the field?

To put it quite simply, I believe that J.J. Watt, while not in his prime anymore, does not have one foot in the nursing home like some suggest. His brother T.J. has been getting the spotlight recently for his fantastic start to his career in Pittsburgh, J.J. should not be forgotten. Looking at the average aging curve for defensive linemen, yes most do see drop-offs and quick retirements around their early 30s, but J.J is no ordinary defensive lineman. So while his stats may seem down and look like he is nearing the end I do not think this is exactly the case. J.J. might not be the one-man wrecking crew that he was back in 2012 or 2014 when he had 20.5 sacks, but plug him into an above-average defensive line and it might feel like you are back in 2014. Keep in mind the man was double-teamed 30% of the time last season, the most among defensive ends. We have to remember that the Texans team outside of Watson and Watt had no real star power; it was an uphill battle for both of them. Watson being young and talented enough could show his talent without much help, Watt who is more aged needs some more oil to keep the gears going. That oil is a competent rusher alongside him, and there are a couple of teams with super bowl aspirations who might fit the bill. I can see him taking something around Calais Campbell’s salary of 12.5 million, but this is all just based on my own assumptions as I have no real connection to Watt’s camp. The cap for the 2021 NFL season has not been announced yet, so I’ll just be thinking of teams J.J could go to even if the cap space does not really line up but is close enough. With Father Time slowly catching up on the older Watt, he might be more inclined to take a team-friendly deal to push a d-line over the edge in terms of skill and hopefully win a ring.

The number one spot where people can really see the older Watt land is in Pittsburgh. Steelers fans like myself would be ecstatic if J.J came to join T.J. in black and gold. Pittsburgh right now is projected over the cap by about 14 million which makes this move difficult, but if J.J wants to come then you bet the front office will try to find a way to make it work. It’ll just be hard with the salary cap hell the Steelers are in with Big Ben’s massive contract for 2021. They will have to decide whether letting some other FAs walk (Zach Banner, Bud Dupree, James Conner, Juju, Alejandro Villaneuva all come to mind) and hope that they can just run over teams with a good old fashioned defense like the 2015 Denver Broncos carrying Manning to a super bowl victory. What I do think is more likely is Watt coming down to Tampa Bay to fill a Shaq Barrett-sized hole if Barrett was to leave in free agency. In my opinion, Tampa Bay’s free agency will come down to who out of Godwin, David, or Barrett are willing to let walk.

Personally, I would try to sign Barrett and David, but J.J Watt would be a nice consolation prize if Barrett was to go get paid elsewhere. Destinations after this get a little bit murky based on cap situation, fit, and also super bowl probability. For sleeper destinations, I would not count out the Bills or 49ers. Both are teams with super bowl aspirations and relatively ok on cap space right now. I find these less likely than the above scenarios, but still, options to join a defensive line with some star power. I know Green Bay is a popular pick but I just do not see it happening because of the free agents they need to resign. I know Pittsburgh should fall in the same category with their cap situation, but I give them a pass mainly because I think T.J would be inside the organization really hammering to get his brother a spot if J.J did want to come. I still would place Tampa Bay above all other options, but do not count out any other teams from this sweepstakes. If your team is playoff material and not doing its due diligence on J.J Watt, then it is time for your front office to go. Despite getting older J.J is primed to age like fine wine, and you do not want to be the offensive lineman that will have to line up one on one against him next season.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

The Steelers Are in Trouble

Author: Matthew Iberger

After a 27-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers are reeling. Usually, an 11-3 team would not be so worried, but the Steelers are getting cold at the worst possible time. Three straight losses after an 11-0 start where the offense has averaged 10 points per game and four straight games without scoring 20 points or more. The defense which would get them out of these slumps is facing mounting injuries especially at linebacker and edge rusher.

The worst part about this loss to the Bengals is it widens the door for the Cleveland

Browns to take the division lead. Sitting at 10-4, Cleveland had very little chance of catching Steelers before their three straight losses. Now only one game back if Cleveland wins next week against the New York Jets and the Steelers fall to the Indianapolis Colts, the two teams will meet in a Week 17 matchup that decides who wins the AFC North. With how the teams are looking right now I am inclined to believe that this is what will happen. This is a team that looks like it will finish 11-5 after their 11-0 start and be staring at a first-round exit after competing for the first seed for the first eleven weeks of the season.

Ben Roethlisberger for all the success he has had, has lost it. Watching games this season you could tell he had trouble throwing deep especially over the middle, but his lost arm strength was masked by his quick throws over the middle and a strong defense to bail the offense out. As previously mentioned, the defense has regressed due to injury and by putting more pressure on the offense, Big Ben’s faults become clearer. Lack of a strong offensive line and running back play has not helped out the aging QB, nor has the consistent drops from the skill position players during these last three games (they would have won the Washington game if the drops were less often). You can even put more blame on OC Randy Fincher who does not seem to be changing up his game plan to help his struggling team. However, this most recent loss can be put squarely on the shoulders of quarterback play, not receiver drops. Ben was completely missing open receivers, misreading coverages, and just flat out looking bad. A nice Diontae Johnson throw and Benny Snell looking good for part of the game made the score much closer, but by the end of the half Ben only was 7 for 16 for 19 yards and an interception. An aging arm is not something you can fix in two games. Less reliance on Ben’s arm is what will get this team back to winning but with the defense injured and a weak running game, it is what the Steelers have had to do.

As a Steelers fan myself, I still am rooting for my team to turn it around and I believe that they still have a (albeit small) chance at a Super Bowl run. We have to prepare for the strong possibility that Pittsburgh will be one of the first teams out in the playoffs. Currently Pittsburgh sits at 28 in the draft and my way too early hope is that we spend that pick on one of the top running backs to put less pressure on Ben’s arm or an offensive lineman and stick with James Conner and Benny Snell as a 1-2 punch. For the second round, I have been enamored with taking either Alabama QB Mac Jones or Florida QB Kyle Trask to find a successor to Ben. Pittsburgh might have to trade up from their draft spot at 60 to around 45 in hopes of nailing one of them before QB-needy teams like Chicago, New England or San Francisco. If neither of them is available, maybe picking up Sam Darnold or even Gardner Minshew in a cheap trade would work out. No matter what happens it has been an exciting season that I do not think any Steelers fan would have changed. Sure, it has been disappointing late but most rational fans knew we were not going to keep outpacing the Chiefs who sat one game behind the Steelers at 10-1. The super bowl window still remains open in Pittsburgh and hopefully they can secure that ring this year but if not, this team is not going anywhere anytime soon.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

The Black and Gold are Back

Author: Matthew Iberger

Editor: Fran Attié

For the second time in franchise history, the Pittsburgh Steelers are 7-0. Not to get ahead of myself, but the last time they started off 6-0, they won the Super Bowl. As a Steelers fan, I am completely ecstatic after last season’s disappointment. And while we’re not even halfway through the season, there is clearly a lot to be happy about. So let's take a look at how the team is doing, and how I think they are looking going forward.

Through the first seven weeks, the Steelers defense has been suffocating. Some even say it’s the best defense in the NFL at this point. After watching them get carved up by a Blake Bortles-led Jaguars team a couple of years ago, it is nice to finally see a defense that can hold its own. The smothering pass rush, which is blitzing at the highest rate in the league this season, has been a nightmare for opposing offenses, and it shows in all the passing statistical categories that the Steelers lead in. Playoff games often come down to the team that is able to get to the opposing quarterback, and the rate the Steelers are doing that right now, bodes well for their success in the back half of the season.

As for the offense, it has certainly been a breath of fresh air after the living through the Mason Rudolph/Devlin Hodges monstrosity that was last year’s. The air raid offense of the past is gone, replaced by a quick throwing, short passing attack. Big Ben is throwing shorter significantly more than previous years, and it’s actually working—coming off elbow surgery, these shorter passes seem perfectly tailored both for the 38 year-old quarterback and the offense. Ben is also getting hit a lot less than previous seasons, which is always a positive for your quarterback. The only thing concerning me though, is how the offense sputtered in the second half of the Titans game. After going up 24-7 in the 2nd quarter, Pittsburgh only scored 3 points the rest of the game and had to rely on a Titans field goal miss to win in regular time. Hopefully it was just a one off incident, because you need to keep your foot on the gas when playing against high powered offenses like the Chiefs’, Ravens’, or the Titans’ when they meet again. Still, being 7-0 is impressive in itself, so I really shouldn’t complain about how the team got here.

All in all, this season could not have been off to a better start, and I predict that a 14-2 record, or even 13-3 (in case any trap games happen), is a completely attainable goal for this Steelers team. Right now though, all I know for certain is that, after a down year, the Black and Gold are back, and the league better be ready for them.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE