Pittsburgh Steelers star pass-rusher TJ Watt was held off the stat sheet the final two games of the season. Mike Tomlin's defensive philosophy could have something to do with that.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media on Tuesday following Pittsburgh's playoff loss on Saturday to the Ravens, telling reporters that he has "no response" to outside talk about his job security.
Watt had 11.5 sacks this season, but over the last 193 snaps of the year, they failed to record a single statistic. He battled thumb and ankle injuries to close the season, but it was a disappointing end for a player the Steelers looked at as their superstar cornerstone.
Tomlin has been under fire for his lack of postseason success, losing his last six playoff games and the most recent five have been first-round exits, including Saturday against AFC North rival Baltimore. It was just another in a string of disappointing endings.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has not won a playoff game since 2016, going 0-5 since beating the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2016 Divisional Playoffs. That is not exactly news  to most.
Steelers defensive end T.J. Watt's production fell off to end the year, with the 30-year-old failing to log a sack over their final three games. J.J Watt—a former NFL star himself—was asked about both his brother's and Pittsburgh's struggles down the stretch this year on Monday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show:
A narrative has taken hold that Mike Tomlin is the reason the Steelers struggled at the end of this season. It's not Tomlin's fault.
Three members of the Pittsburgh Steelers have been named to this year's All-NFL and All-AFC teams. Linebacker T.J. Watt, kicker Chris Boswell, and defensive tackle Cam Heyward have all received the honors of being named to the two teams.
Pittsburgh Steelers star edge rusher T.J. Watt offered a very candid admission on his playoff performance and how it must improve in 2025.
It was a sequence that perfectly captured the Pittsburgh Steelers’ desultory first-round playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night, and also the desultory, mediocre reality that has surrounded the Steelers for a decade now.
The Steelers aren't known for bold moves, but could they trade their best offensive player, or a Pro Bowl defender?
Linebacker TJ Watt is fully committed to staying with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the long term wit his deal set to expire after 2025.