T.J. Watt represented the family name well in his first NFL action with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
J.J.'s little brother compiled two sacks, one batted pass and five tackles in a 20-12 Steelers win over the New York Giants on Friday night in New Jersey. Pro Football Focus charted Watt with six total QB pressures.
"Phenomenal," veteran Arthur Moats (three sacks Friday night) said of Watt, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "From time he's come in, OTAs and training camp, he hasn't been overwhelmed by any day. You saw it out here today; the first two pass rushes he gets, he gets sacks on and played a phenomenal game.
"He had a great start to his career and he's only going to get better."
Watt's first two sacks were mostly acts of circumstance. The first was a result of Giants quarterback Josh Johnson getting flushed toward Watt. The rookie did a nice job to disengage from his block to pounce on the free meal. On the second, Watt was unblocked. The play looked like a screw up on the outside by New York on what should have been a receiver screen -- left tackle Ereck Flowers sprinted to block the outside as was his job on the play.
"Those will probably be the two easiest sacks of his [NFL career]," coach Mike Tomlin told KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh at halftime. "I don't want him to get disillusioned. But I do like the things that I've sent thus far."
The sacks might have been luck, but Watt displayed the relentlessness we've come accustomed to from his brother. The No. 30 overall pick was consistently around the ball in his debut.
The Steelers have swung and missed on first-round pass rushers in the past. After one preseason game, they must like what they have in Watt.
"I think just getting out there in general, having a play on [special] teams and then having the sack as I did, it calmed the nerves a little bit," Watt said of his performance. "At the same time I felt like I belong here. I came into this game with a certain amount of confidence because of the work I put in."
Oh, and of course, J.J. Watt was watching:
