T.J. Watt Media Availability (Sept. 22) | Pittsburgh Steelers

T.J. Watt Media Availability (Sept. 22) | Pittsburgh Steelers

Why uh why did you think that pass rush was so effective this week? Uh we just knew early on the game that um he had trouble diagnosing coverages and we just threw a different um mix of things at him that made him hold the ball and we were able to get home. Obviously the guys in the back end did a great job. Um and the guys up front we just did really well. I think Dearmm had a great game for the the reps that he had. Um Cam Hayward was a force and obviously Herb was rushing the pass really well as well. Um, we’re talking some of the offensive guys. We were talking about finishing plays, finishing runs. You just talked about getting home. Was that an emphasis for you guys this week, the finishing element, the pass rush, too? I mean, yeah, we always want to get home. We do. Um, some weeks it’s just doesn’t happen. Obviously, you want it to happen each and every week. We feel like we’ve had a unit for a lot of years here where you look and you see three, four, sometimes six, seven sacks in a game, and we haven’t been doing that lately. Um, so it feels better to be able to get five on the board and be able to contribute um, as a front. TJ, is that kind of similar with turnovers? Were you or did you work it any differently leading up to the Patriots game than you had in other weeks? Just the opportunities were there. I mean, it’s it’s an interesting thing. We work turnover circuit every every day, every week. Um, we always preach the culture. I’d say this week the only difference was that we actually had some victims that have fumbled a lot. Um, so that was definitely more point of emphasis. 38 I think fumbled seven times last year. I think four fumbled a couple um then the rookie um hadn’t fumbled I don’t think but it was definitely a point of emphasis but it’s hard to say if it was more so than other weeks. KJ, how excited are you about getting to play over in Ireland here in a few days and how are you preparing for the uh obviously adjustment you guys are going to have to make? I’m really excited. Obviously the Rooney family is huge over there and um the ambassadorship is incredible and I’m just looking forward to seeing the fans over there and spreading the game. Um it’s going to be fun. I’m trying to get as much rest as possible. Hopefully I can sleep on the flight over there and uh just try to enjoy the culture and and try to soak it up as much as possible because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. How do you balance this being, you know, a really cool individual experience to, you know, that you’re going to do with the team, but also, hey, this is a business trip, so it’s it’s a game. I mean, I went to Dublin and I think it was like 2015, so I got all my fun out of the way there, so I can just be business while I’m over there this time. DJ, you guys pass rush when I watch it. Looks like there’s a lot more layers to it when it comes to stunts, twists, and where extra guys are getting involved. What do you sense has been different this year as far as how you guys have tried to go about getting after quarterback? I think it’s just trying to deal with the max protection that we see each and every week now. So, we’re just trying to do a bunch of different things to keep offensive uh structures off balance and um if teams are going to do one thing, we’re going to try our best to be able to make make them less effective with it. What’s the challenge to mesh that with, you know, the different things that you guys also try to do in coverage because you guys are, you know, showing man going zone and vice versa a lot as well behind that when you’re mixing that with those aggressive plays, that can be a challenge to make sure still cover. I mean, yeah, I think I mean, everything’s a challenge, but at the end of the day, we’re professionals. This is what we do for a living, so we need to be able to execute. CJ, it seems like getting three opponents in a row run pretty lopsided away from you. Uh, does that is that frustrating? Do you feel like you need to do anything about it or is it just part of the game? Um part of the game obviously I’m trying to um make make it effective on the left. Um try to go with the right from time to time, but I just feel more at home on the left right now. And um if it makes teams onedimensional, that should be something that we can weaponize. Running back is coming off a pretty good game, one of the best receivers in the game. How how crucial is winning on first down so that you can um not be allow them to get you in tough situations on second and short, third and short? It’s huge. I haven’t really been able to break down a lot of film still early in the week. Um but yeah, when they have a dynamic receiver like that and a running back who’s run the ball like he is, I mean, we just need to do our best to be able to get them in those third the third and long situations. But when we do get in those third long situations getting off the field um just too many long drives um the other day that just we’re playing way too much football as a defense those third longs and fourth downs finishing that you were talking about earlier is that what’s missing there? Uh, I of course I mean getting off the field when we’re in those situations is crucial and um it’s it can be demoralizing as a defense especially when you don’t have those turnovers to be able to kind of hang your hat on to be able to say all right well at least we got off the field at some point. Um but yeah driving the the distance to the field drive in drive out is absolutely unacceptable. TJ, throughout your career when you faced him, what has stood out about Carson Wentz and how much of a help does it to have at least one game of tape on him before you face him in? Uh mobile guy, guy that uh obviously has above the next smarts. He’s been doing it for a while. He has a very lively arm. He can throw any throw he wants. Um top guy for a reason when he was doing it his best and it’ll be a challenge. This a little bit silly, but there’s a little bit of seriousness in it. Like your brother says you guys had to turn over call back because of the review. He It’s actually tiring to go down and run and Yeah, I know. We were talking about that on the car at home last night. Yeah. Even this focusing back with first of all, is that true? And then just you got to like we made a play. Oh, no, we didn’t. We got to get back. I know. That’s the thing. It’s hard to celebrate. I mean, like it’s it’s hard because it’s so hard to make plays in the National Football League that you have. I It’s my belief that you celebrate like you have fun, you enjoy it because it’s it’s so hard to do. Um but yeah, when those penalties and stuff like that happens and you have to play another down, that’s even like on the sack. Uh, on the two-minute drive, I didn’t even celebrate cuz it’s like, “All right, you got to go again.” You know what I mean? So, um, it’s it’s a fine line there between celebrating and being ready for the next play. TJ, why do you think Jabril fit in so quickly with this defense? Jabril’s a dog, man. He’s hard-nosed football player. Very vocal, very emotional, um, in the best ways. Um, really excited to have him here. Was awesome to see him yesterday. What’s Nick doing to be to be a more complete player now from when you first first knew him? Um, he’s staying hungry, honestly. I think he’s continually asking the right questions. He’s doing everything right on the field, off the field. Um, watching film, um, constantly trying to ask how he can do things better. Um, you guys know him as a phenomenal pass rusher, one of the seriously one of the best better pass rushers we have. And, um, he’s he’s he’s stout against the run as well. I think that’s something that he takes a lot of pride in. I know he gets knocked for his size a lot, but I think he’s a hell of an all-around player. Your brother called out one right when he said football justice or ball don’t lie. Yeah, he was telling me about I haven’t seen any of the broadcast or anything, but he was trying to explain all that stuff to me. It sound like he had another good day yesterday. He’s He seems to be killing it. But did you feel that way too? Maybe got a little justice there after the hold on the that didn’t get cold in the I mean, I don’t know. Call it whatever you want. I’m glad. I mean, I don’t want to address the hold at all, but we’ll call it as it is. Have you uh kept up with what Brian Flores has been doing at all professionally? Interesting to you? Oh, I mean, I know that he always has phenomenal defensive play. Uh, obviously Andrew Van Ginkle is a guy who’s a Wisconsin guy, so I’ve followed him from afar, too. And, um, schematically, the things they do are pretty impressive, very unique, um, to his scheme. So I’m looking forward to seeing it here in Ming shortly.

T.J. Watt spoke to the media on Monday, Sept. 22 ahead of the Steelers Week 4 against the Vikings in Dublin, Ireland

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