I agree Watt is having a monster season but the guy above said no one is remotely close, Matthews is tearing it up so far.
Watt is somehow leading the entire team in tackles, sacks, AND passes defended (deflected). That's nuts. That's the kind of position-crossing stat domination only Olajuwon could do. Cameron Jordan and Will Smith are the only defensive linemen in the league with more tackles. Clay Matthews is the only player in the league with more sacks (6.0 to 5.5) Tied for #9 in the entire league for PD And no stat accounts for the way Watt disrupts an entire side of the line by himself. This guy is unreal. Absolutely unreal.
Watt's amazing about his year so far (see watt I did there?) is that he's doing it all from the DE position in the 3-4. That's not supposed to be the sexy position, that's just supposed to stuff the run and open things up for the LB's to pass rush, if I'm not mistaken. I know Wade's scheme is not your typical 3-4, but still.....you'd expect these kinds of stats from an OLB, not a DE. Also, the sample size is getting bigger. It's not like he just had 1 monster game, he's done it consistently for 3 games now. One more thing.....he basically missed the entire preseason.
I'm both amazed at Watt's performance despite the doubleteams and sorta disappointed that the OLB (Reed or Barwin) that lines up beside him isn't getting more sacks. Watt is the kind of player that I wanted Mario to become.
3-4 DE's aren't supposed to put up these kinds of performances. It's debatable whether JJ is the best defensive player in the league or not, but at this point, I wouldn't trade him for anyone. Dominant 3-4 DE's are probably the hardest to find... and he's only 23.
watt doesn't play with pure strength. he utilizes a great swim technique that allows him to get leverage on the OL. i wish our other DLs would learn it.
5 games if you go back to playoffs last season like the article mentioned. The guy has 9 sacks in his last 5 games. That's an unbelievable pace.
Yes, there are more relevant stats...completion percentage being the worst of them. David Carr had decent completion percentages. YPA is one of the most important and Newton averaged 7.84...that is more than Vick, Cutler, Stafford, Ryan, Flacco, etc... As a rookie. Yes, Newtown threw 17 ints...Stafford and Eli threw for 16 each...Rivers threw 20 picks. Keep in mind, we're comparing a rookie QB to some of the "elite" QBs in the league. Hardly a fair comparison. And you cant discount his rushing TDs...thats a big reason why he is the quarterback that he is. 14 rushing TDs is ridiculous. Just to compare, the most Vick has ever had is 9. Put all of this together and Cam Newton easily had one of the best seasons as a rookie QB in the history of the game.
It's insane reading articles that our 2nd year 3-4 DE is an early favorite for DPOY through 3 games. Watt is truly a special kind of player that comes around every so often.
The better Watt plays, the more other teams will have to gameplan for him, and that will open it up for someone else. I like our odds.
Its only a matter of time when teams will have to game plan against Watt and how to slow down his effectiveness...this will open up more plays for Smith, Cushing, Reed and Barwin...What is making Watt so special is that he really is a 5 tool player... athletic, powerful, great against the run, disrupts passing lanes...and gets to the QB...its scary how quickly he has gotten to this point...the sky is the limit...Glad he is on our team...
