Factoid

February 07, 2021

T.J. Watt

Big year not enough to unseat Donald

The NFL handed out its 2020 awards last night, a fairly dull affair with taped messages from players and (obviously) no cheering fans. There was nothing particularly surprising with most of the results, but there was some controversy, if you asked J.J. Watt.

Aaron Donald won Defensive Player of the Year, again, and it didn't sit well with Watt. He took to Twitter to make the case for brother T.J., who finished with better numbers than Donald in virtually every defensive category. Stats aren't everything -- they can't always measure the impact a player has -- but if people are going to use stats to make the case for Aaron Rodgers, say, over Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes, the same can be done with defensive players.

And Watt is correct to note that the Steelers pass rusher had more sacks (15-13.5), tackles (53-41), tackles for losses (23-12), quarterback pressures (55-42) and hits on the quarterback (41-26) than Donald. Fumbles was the only area that Donald out-produced Watt (4-2) last season.

Watt's got a bias, but he makes a pretty good point. Defensive Player of the Year or not, his brother just completed one of the best seasons by any defensive player this century.

Over the last 20 years, 35 players have finished with at least 15 sacks and 50 tackles. J.J. Watt did it four times, one of only two players (the other is DeMarcus Ware) to do it more than twice. Only one guy did it in 2020: T.J. Watt.

15-PLUS SACKS AND 50-PLUS TACKLES, 2001-PRESENT
Year	Player	Tm	Sk	Solo	Ast	Comb
2020	T.J. Watt	PIT	15.0	43	10	53
2019	Cameron Jordan	NOR	15.5	37	16	53
2019	Chandler Jones	ARI	19.0	42	11	53
2019	Shaquil Barrett	TAM	19.5	45	13	58
2018	Aaron Donald	LAR	20.5	41	18	59
2018	J.J. Watt	HOU	16.0	47	14	61
2017	Chandler Jones	ARI	17.0	52	7	59
2015	J.J. Watt	HOU	17.5	57	19	76
2015	Khalil Mack	OAK	15.0	57	20	77
2014	J.J. Watt	HOU	20.5	59	19	78
2014	Justin Houston	KAN	22.0	60	9	69
2013	Greg Hardy	CAR	15.0	39	20	59
2013	Robert Mathis	IND	19.5	44	15	59
2013	Robert Quinn	STL	19.0	50	7	57
2012	Aldon Smith	SFO	19.5	50	16	66
2012	Cameron Wake	MIA	15.0	38	15	53
2012	J.J. Watt	HOU	20.5	69	12	81
2012	Von Miller	DEN	18.5	55	13	68
2011	DeMarcus Ware	DAL	19.5	48	10	58
2011	Jared Allen	MIN	22.0	48	18	66
2011	Jason Pierre-Paul	NYG	16.5	66	20	86
2010	DeMarcus Ware	DAL	15.5	56	10	66
2008	DeMarcus Ware	DAL	20.0	69	15	84
2008	James Harrison	PIT	16.0	67	34	101
2007	Jared Allen	KAN	15.5	56	9	65
2006	Aaron Kampman	GNB	15.5	59	30	89
2006	Shawne Merriman	SDG	17.0	49	14	63
2005	Derrick Burgess	OAK	16.0	52	6	58
2003	Adewale Ogunleye	MIA	15.0	43	21	64
2003	Michael Strahan	NYG	18.5	60	15	75
2003	Simeon Rice	TAM	15.0	45	5	50
2002	Jason Taylor	MIA	18.5	46	24	70
2002	Simeon Rice	TAM	15.5	41	9	50
2001	Michael Strahan	NYG	22.5	61	12	73
2001	Peter Boulware	BAL	15.0	44	22	66

Search engines at pro-football-reference.com used to compile this table.

Anyone who watched the Rams play this year (or in recent years) is aware of how much of a game-changer Donald is. But T.J. Watt is also pretty good, and comes off his best season. His brother has a point.

--Andy Richardson

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