For the first two weeks of the season, Steelers opponents ran away from T.J. Watt—rather literally their rushing offenses. With Watt mostly staying put on his defensive left side, offenses attacked the defensive right side. Although the Patriots were more balanced, the defense as a whole played the run better. The biggest issue was QB Drake Maye, who gained 45 yards, largely on scrambles.
Either way, however, Watt believes teams running away from him shouldn’t be a problem. Indeed, he thinks the Steelers can use it to their advantage. Speaking to reporters on Monday, he called such scheming just “part of the game”.