Pittsburgh Steelers fans got exactly the kind of opening-week jolt they were hoping for from T.J. Watt, and Pro Football Focus’ first batch of grades backs it up.
Watt delivered a dominant night in the win over the Atlanta Falcons, piling up two sacks and a pick-six while earning a 92.3 overall grade from PFF. That number put him No. 1 among 98 EDGE rushers.
The performance landed in a pretty exclusive bucket for Watt, too. It was the first time in his career he had posted a defensive touchdown and at least two sacks in the same game. It was also only the second time he’s had an interception and two sacks in one outing, with the other coming in his Week 1 debut in 2017 against the Browns.
The 31-year-old looked every bit like the force Steelers fans remember. He was active against the run and disruptive almost every time the Falcons tried to drop back, making his presence felt snap after snap.
That kind of showing naturally invites the old comparison game with Myles Garrett. The two have been the standard-bearers for the AFC North pass-rush debate for years, and the argument sharpened after Garrett beat Watt for AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.
Garrett had stretched his lead further with a monster 2025 season, breaking the single-season sack record with 23.0 and winning DPOY again. Watt, by comparison, finished with 7.0 sacks in 14 games for Pittsburgh.
Now the rivalry looks different on paper, since Garrett is no longer in the division after being traded to the Rams in the offseason. But the conversation isn’t going anywhere, especially if Watt keeps rolling in Patrick Graham’s defense.
Week 1 didn’t help Garrett’s side of the debate. In his Los Angeles Rams debut, he was graded at 64.7 by PFF, which placed him No. 41 among EDGE rushers. He had three pressures and no sacks.
Garrett’s start also comes with a setback: he underwent knee surgery and was placed on the reserve/injured list, so he’ll miss at least four games after playing through the injury in the Rams’ season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
For Watt, the challenge now is simple. If he keeps producing like this and settles back into the kind of upper-tier edge-rusher form he’s shown before, the Watt-Garrett debate could flare right back up.
In Other News...
Steelers New Look Still Leaves One Big Problem To Solve
The Steelers came out of their latest game looking different on both sides of the ball, and not just in the usual early-season, we-need-to-see-more way. Aaron Rodgers was more willing to test defenses downfield, while the front seven kept rotating T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith in ways that suggested a more flexible pass-rush approach than in years past. Pittsburgh also mixed in plenty of two-tight-end looks, and the snap counts for Germie Bernard and Roman Wilson offered another small reminder that this offense is still sorting out who fits where.
Even with the changes, the game still kept circling back to the same old frustration: missed chances. Drops and inaccurate throws broke up drives that had enough going for them to matter, which is why the new look feels promising without yet feeling complete. The Steelers have shown they can create different answers schematically, but until the passing game cleans up the finishing work, the biggest question on the roster is still waiting for a real solution. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Fans Suddenly Have Real Reason To Worry About Joey Porter Jr
For a Steelers team that has tried to build its identity around young, physical defense, Joey Porter Jr. suddenly finding his name in trade chatter is the kind of development that lands hard. NFL Networks Ian Rapoport pointed to the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions as possible destinations for the cornerback, with Pittsburgh still working through a contract dispute that has added another layer of uncertainty around one of its most important young defenders.
The Lions have reportedly shown interest, while the Chiefs are searching for help at cornerback after injuries and trades thinned that room. Any move would still have to clear a complicated path, though, with Porters contract demands and Kansas Citys salary cap situation making a deal far from simple. For now, it is less about where Porter might go than the fact that the Steelers have reached the point where such a conversation is even happening. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Week 1 Usage Raised Some Early Lineup Questions
Week 1 gave the Steelers an early look at how this defense and offense may be leaning under their current personnel mix, and the snap counts were hard to miss. T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward were on the field less than fans have grown used to seeing, while Jalen Ramsey and Payton Wilson barely came off it. On offense, rookie Germie Bernard had a limited role, but Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington were both featured heavily as Pittsburgh worked through its first game plan of the season.
The usage patterns do not settle many questions so much as they open them up. Reduced workloads for Watt and Heyward can be explained plenty of ways in a season opener, but they still stand out when paired with the near every-snap roles for Ramsey and Wilson and the tight end-heavy approach on offense. For a team trying to sort out its weekly identity early, the first-round of snap counts offered a clearer view of who the Steelers trust right away and a few more spots where the rotation still feels unsettled. [Read more 🡒]