Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, T.J. Watt and the race for Leonard Williams finally lived up to the hype.Stats; @pfref #NFL pic.twitter.com/Y5ro45XW1l. T.J. Watt led the NFL in sacks, quarterback hits, and in tackles for a loss in 2020, an impressive feat. In my opinion, I think that Watt deserves Defensive Player of the Year Award. TJ Watt Deserved to be the DPOY over Aaron Donald T.J. Watt had another great season, but he wasnt the best player in 2020. He can play inside linebacker, strong-side linebacker and defensive end. After that happened, Watt tweeted out the Michael Jordan , "And . Latest on Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on ESPN PERIOD! But right after he won, J.J. Watt, also a three-time DPOY, and many others took to social media to . The younger Watt brother has emerged as the new face of this current Pittsburgh Steelers era(well until the draft a QB). Im not huge on individual goals, but its tough for me not to want that when I saw my brother at the height of his career win it three times. Aaron Donald, on this play drives the guard (Kevin Zeitler, hes no slouch) back 8 yards by the time the quarterback takes off, the running back is no help at all. CHECK OUT OUR SHOP!DONATE ON PATREON! The quarterback takes a three step drop and its already over. Watt also added 5 passes defended and an interception. Aaron Donald is the defensive end to the right side of the screen, lined up across from #75 of the Giants. T.J. Watt stepped up and produced when the Steelers were fighting to play one more game in 2019, in 2020 he didnt. Donald also tipped a pass that linebacker Ernest Jones intercepted and the Rams converted that miscue into a touchdown to take a 7-3 lead in the second quarter. Aaron Donald vs T.J. Watt Stats For his career, Aaron Donald has collected 24 forced fumbles and has gotten 160 tackles in the backfield. But the Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle has plenty of competition this time around -- most notably from Pittsburgh Steelers pass-rusher T.J. Watt, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, who is looking to become the first rookie to win the award since Lawrence Taylor four decades ago. The greats among the greats. They still have about a 40% chance to get there, according to ESPN's Football Power Index. T.J. Watt is an edge rusher and a linebacker, Aaron Donald is a defensive lineman. But he should absolutely get MVP votes as well, because that's what kind of a player he is." T.J. Watt Career Stats | NFL.com The farther the player is to the right side of the graph the more often they were listed as being double teamed. Will Levis opens up about emotional draft day. However, TJ Watt is leading the league in that category with 15 sacks - and Watt is leading Donald in plenty of other pass rushing categories. Donald has 10 sacks, which ranks 10th and is six behind Watt. To get DPOY award means you were the dominant defensive player in the league. -- Thiry. He had the stats and ability to prove it, however, like most years the big names won the awards. He had four tackles for loss vs. Minnesota. Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, T.J. Watt and the race for Obviously for him just to consistently do what he's been doing, it's great to see. -- Trotter, Myles Garrett strips, scoops and scores! The possibilities are endless, and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn keeps pushing the boundaries. Without Watt's 3.5 sacks of Lamar Jackson and pressure on the failed 2-point conversion attempt, the Steelers don't beat the Ravens 20-19 on Dec. 5, to keep Pittsburgh relevant in the AFC North. The Nittany Lions star has the capacity to dominate for the black and gold, just as his dad did. Until T.J. Watt recently overtook him, Garrett was leading the NFL in sacks for most of the season. Betting markets have as a pretty strong favorite around 2:1 odds . Therefore, he has more of an impact on the football game. Latest on Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald including complete game-by-game stats on ESPN The offensive lineman that is first matched up with Donald gets beat almost instantly, and when he tries to hold Donald, ends up getting flung to the ground like a rag doll without Donald even paying him attention, thats how quick and powerful Aaron Donald is. Watt winning the honor comes a year after losing out to Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who received 27 votes to Watts 20. Watt, who didn't practice after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier that week, also had six quarterback hits in the game, the most since he had five against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. Did Pats make Mac Jones happy? Watt answered his own question by tying the single-season sack record with 22.5 of them in 2021. He's a dog out there. He also hit the quarterback 39 times, making a total of 64 tackles the second-most in his career. He did all that while missing two games, too. With the end of the NFL season, the leagues best players were rewarded. On that play, Garrett also broke the Browns single-season record for sacks in a season, propelling him past Reggie Camp, who had 14 in 1984. He's proven you can't leave him alone, as he's won a league-best 32.6% of his pass rushes when facing a single blocker. That game is at the top of that list. So yes, T.J. Watts stats are better across the board than Aaron Donalds were, but as Steeler fans who remember how good Aaron Smith was, and how good Casey Hampton was, It shouldnt be hard to understand how playing on the interior line causes less impressive stats no matter how good the player is. He's faced 178 double teams on his pass rushes, which ranks third, but still manages to win 24.2% of those battles -- which is, unsurprisingly, the best ranking in the league. Odds and lines subject to change. -- Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, on if he saw anything different from Donald on film that enabled him to dominate the Cardinals. Gambling Problem? This season, Donald played 17 games compared to Watt's 15 games. With the Steelers. 32 lingering post-draft questions: Will Lions have regrets? Khan's first Steelers draft 'aggressive' pic.twitter.com/Eh61Wx4dI1, Why Donald might fall short: Donald stars on a defense that has not been nearly as dominant as it was a season ago, when it was the top-ranked unit in efficiency and points allowed per game (18.5). All four are having standout seasons, and Parsons has the benefit of playing on one of the best defensive units this season. Bud Dupree has never had a season where the Steelers averaged under 3 sacks a game when he was active, and the Steelers have never had a stretch (multiple games) in that time without him where they averaged at least 3 a game. I always thought to myself why cant I do that?, T.J. Watt: Im not huge on individual goals, but I was striving for DPOY At their respective peaks, who is/was better, Aaron Donald or JJ Watt T.J. Watt wins 2021 Defensive Player of the Year over Aaron Donald All stats that are higher than Aaron Donald. Why Parsons might fall short: History tells you this is a long shot. Watt is a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, that does not make him the best defensive player. Alexander Johnson vs Blake Martinez Stats. T.J. Watt is great, and Ive highlighted multiple times plays he makes to set up team mates. DeMarcus Ware had 20 sacks in 2008, and he finished second to the Steelers' Harrison in the voting. Our focus will be on Aaron Donald, T.J. Watt, and Myles Garrett because they are the top three favorites for DPOY in that order. Aaron Donald was the right choice for Defensive Player of the Year Im not here to bash T.J. Watt and say hes not good, hes really good, hes the best edge rusher in the NFL, and one of the truly elite players on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not a one trick pony or a flash in the pan I love stats, I especially love advanced stats and analytical metrics, but stats can tell us results, they dont tell you how a player got there. Elevate his game and get recognized nationally as not just one half of a great duo, but a truly elite player. For his career, J.J. Watt has accumulated 27 forced fumbles and has gotten 195 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Levis has inside track to be future of Titans, Eagles add three Georgia studs to elite roster, Belichick keeping Jones, Zappe on edge after draft, Simms: Hooker has more talent than Goff, NFL draft takeaways: QBs selected on Day 3, T.J. Watt: Im not huge on individual goals, but I was striving for DPOY, In the end, the Packers fleeced the Jets for Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Rodgers blamed cell service at his house for not returning Brian Gutekunsts calls, Trade charts show Jets sending Packers equivalent of a high second-round pick in 2023, Odds greatly improve for Will Levis to be the first overall pick, Deion Sanders is ashamed of 31 NFL teams for not drafting any HBCU players, Brian Gutekunst: It would have been nice to have had those conversations with Aaron Rodgers, Jim Irsay asks fans whether Colts should pair Will Levis with Anthony Richardson. Quickly compare stats, fantasy rankings and points to find out which player is a better option in your fantasy football league. How long have you been in Journalism? Bud Dupree faces more double teams than T.J. Watt because Keith Butler knows that a 1v1 for T.J. Watt is far more valuable than a 1v1 for Bud Dupree, and shapes his blitzes accordingly. That's what I look for on third and fourth down." T.J. Watt led Aaron Donald in the majority of defensive stats, with the only argument going Donald's way is how the Rams are more reliant on Donald's excellent play than the Steelers are on the younger Watt brother's excellent play. TJ Watt has dominated all season, in more areas than one, which is more than what Donald can say for himself. View a side-by-side comparison of J.J. Watt and Aaron Donald. NFL: Steelers, J.J. Watt blast Aaron Donald's DPOY win over T.J. Watt This years defensive player of the year awards finalists are TJ Watt and Aaron Donald. J.J. Watt won the award in 2012, 2014, and 2015. You got an opportunity where they might hold the ball a little longer and you can get to that quarterback. -- ESPN Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor, T.J. Watt has 16 sacks in his 10 games played this season. Watt also has seasons with 65 59 and 57 tackles. And, if there's recent bias by selectors, Watt is at a disadvantage. -- Pryor. His eighth NFL season is no different, and despite being 30 years old, he's shown no signs of slowing. T.J. Watt: I'm not huge on individual goals, but I was striving for Full Name: Brandon Unger He had the stats and ability to prove it, however, like most years the big names won the awards. Again this isnt entirely offensive strategy, the nature of the position often involves lining up between the guard and center, and usually both make contact with the defensive tackle at some point. Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald won the 2020-21 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, making it his third DPOY victory. Archived post. Garrett is second in the NFL with 15 sacks, trailing only Watt's 16, and pass rush win rate, trailing only Donald. Cameron Heyward did it in 2019, T.J. Watt did not in 2020. This has nothing to do with AD personally.This is me saying what my brother wont.TJ played 1 less game and STILL led the NFL in every major category. Three seconds after the ball is snapped Dak Prescott gets rid of the ball with Aaron Donald in his face, and after the throw the play ends up with Aaron Donald standing while all the guys who were in his way are on the grass. While not to criticize a player who commands doubles and triple teams every snap, it is clear that T.J. Watt was the superior defensive lineman this year. Donald had 12.5 sacks, 19 . Career Stats for DE Aaron Donald. T.J. Watt has a total of 333 tackles in his career . Both of these players are finalists for the Defensive Player of the Year race. Donald led defensive tackles in both double team rate, and pass rush win rate. The Steelers have Bud Dupree to help take the pressure off Watt, which shouldn't be used against him. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. T.J. Watt, as good as he was in 2020, was even better in 2019, and in that season, his stats and film were better situated to take down Aaron Donald. The easy answer is numbers dont tell the full story, there is so much more to football than what statisticians record, and Im going to try and cover that here. With Garrett leading the way, the Browns defense has surged down the stretch this year, culminating with Sunday's 24-22 win over the Ravens. But most of the time the winner is decided by statistics. He does not rush as much as Donald, therefore he does not have as many opportunities to make plays. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. As of Wednesday, 11 starters were on the COVID-19/reserve list, including defensive tackle Malik McDowell, nickelback Troy Hill and safety John Johnson III. To be able to be recognized as the best defensive player of the year is definitely something I strive for, Watt said. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. So why does the title of this article say Aaron Donald was the right choice? But T.J. Watt doesnt drive the defense, teams dont worry about him the way they worry about and focus on Aaron Donald, and yet Aaron Donald still puts up great stats. Parsons also seems to make the big plays in big moments. The constant focus of opponents' game plans, Donald finds a way to continuously push through double and triple teams to cause disruption as an interior lineman. Its a good team award. Garrett had a strip sack of his own, and he finished the job by returning it for a 15-yard touchdown against the Ravens. However, TJ Watt is leading the league in that category with 15 sacks - and Watt is leading Donald in plenty of other pass rushing categories. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. There is every reason for Parsons to be a strong candidate, but 40 years of evidence is tough to overcome. After spending most of the 2020 season saying T.J. Watt didnt have a real shot to win the DPOY award, in week 13 I said he had a real shot. Thats not how you win the defensive version of the MVP award. But being the best pass rusher does not make you the defensive player of the year. Last season (2020), T.J. Watt lost to Stephon Gilmore who erased receivers off the field for the Patriots. Steelers Free Agent Tracker: Keeping tabs on players staying, and leaving, Updating Steelers depth charts after Day 3 of the NFL Draft. Its also one of the reasons the Steelers use Green Dog blitzes. Predicting the Steelers jersey numbers for the 2023 NFL Draft class. In addition, he racked up seven pass . T.J. Watt had 43 solo tackles, 10 assists, 15.0 sacks and 1 interception in 15 games in 2020. Journalism NAME SEASON TM GP TKL AST COMB SCK SCKY INT INT YDS INT TD FF FR FR TD . T.J. Watt Was Robbed Of the NFL DPOY Award. Youll be just like your brother: Disappear in big games, hurt a lot and a stat padder. Outside of Donald, both charts show that the top tier pass rushers win more when they are double teamed less. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (CO/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/OH/PA/TN/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), visit OPGR.org (OR), or 1-888-532-3500(VA). The stat comparison between Watt and Donald is close. TJ Watt is statistically outperforming Aaron Donald, and no one is T.J. Watt came in second in Defensive Player of the Year award voting for the 2021 season, and predictably, theres a lot of upset people. 1, Panthers' Bryce Young is all 'business now', Top picks Christian Gonzalez, Keion White reflect Patriots' ideal identity, Big takeaways from the NFL draft: A historic QB class, the rebuilt AFC South and new GMs thriving, NFL Nation sizes up all 259 draft selections, XFL semifinals: Defenders roll Sea Dragons, set up title showdown with Renegades. Last year, Aaron Donald left Steelers fans outraged after he won Defensive Player of the Year over T.J. Watt. If he wins the award, he and J.J. would make history as the first siblings to win DPOY. If you want to say T.J. Watt should have won defensive player of the year and have me agree, just add in 2019 to the end and Im with you 100%. Parsons plays for America's Team. Donald splits double teams so well that you want to make him commit to one side of a 1v1 block and then have the help meet him there. There is no doubt about it. Both players were deserving after putting together great 2020 seasons, but Donald was simply the more impactful player. Despite this being true, with Donald having a 70 percent double team percentage compared to Watts 15 percent, it does not tell the whole story. Taylor, unofficially -- sacks weren't an official statistic yet in 1981 -- finished with 9.5 sacks as a rookie. Donald, Taylor and Watt's older brother, J.J., are the only players to earn the distinction three times. Caesars Sportsbook odds on winning: +300 (co-favorite with Garrett), Leads NFL with 16 sacks despite missing two games, NFL-high five games with two sacks this season, Could become first player since Donald in 2018 with 20 sacks in a season, Why Watt is a strong candidate to win the award: Despite missing two entire games and sustaining injuries that knocked him out early in two others, Watt leads the league in sacks with 16 through Week 14. He has set the Cowboys' rookie record for sacks in a season and is closing in on Jevon Kearse's NFL rookie record of 14.5. Heres your Defensive Player of the Year @AaronDonald97 pic.twitter.com/2dsnuNgsFA. It took a truly great season by Watt to beat out Donald for the award, which only one player had done in the last four years. But Donald isn't the only one trying to make history. Highest pass rush win rate (26.9%) among edge defenders this season (ESPN metric using NFL Next Gen Stats), Second in NFL with 15 sacks, third in pressures with 46, Eleven games with at least 0.5 sacks this season, tied for most in NFL (Cincinnati Bengals Trey Hendrickson), Why Garrett is a strong candidate to win the award: The Browns pass-rusher has been arguably the most dominant defensive player in the league this season. This is a frequent blocking strategy against Aaron Donald, a slightly delayed double team. He beat guard Brandon Scherff to sack Taylor Heinicke, forcing a fumble that Dorance Armstrong returned for a touchdown, and on the next series he sacked Heinicke when Washington tried to have a running back block him. Void in ONT. Watt dealt with various injuries in 2021 and was forced to miss two games, but he still had a career-best season and was rewarded with NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. On film, T.J. Watt and Aaron Donald are not close, T.J. Watt is a generational talent, Aaron Donald plays like he belongs in the Reggie White, Mean Joe Green category of all-time greats. Both players . Aaron Donald Game by Game Stats and Performance | ESPN Levis opens up about draft day SAN DIEGO - For the third time in the last four seasons, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award. The one stat that Donald lead in was assisted tackles where he had 46 and Watt had 16 assisted tackles. Watt also had 7 pass deflections and Donald had 4. Aaron Donald Career Stats | NFL.com Pittsburgh Steelers LB T.J. Watt Outshines Garrett, Donald in DPOY Race The first play was a completed pass for Dallas, the second his team mate finished the play that he destroyed. But the sequence in Week 14 against the Washington Football Team was probably the best. What is hard to understand, however, is how Donald only received three votes. Quickly compare stats, fantasy rankings and points to find out which player is a better option in your fantasy football league . On a defense that's struggled throughout the season, Watt -- who was made the NFL's highest paid defensive player prior to the season -- has been a consistent playmaker. Watt led the NFL with 22.5 sacks (tied the single-season record) and 21 tackles for a loss, earning an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection. It makes absolutely no sense! An illustration of the Defensive Player of the Year trophy. Double a rusher and let someone run free at your quarterback (Vince Williams anyone?)3. As an outside linebacker on the best defence in the NFL, Watt played 15 games with 53 tackles, 23 tackles-for-loss (league-high), 15 sacks (league-high), 41 QB hits, two forced fumbles, eight pass . Editor's note: Stats are from ESPN Stats & Information, Highest pass rush win rate (27.0%) among all qualified defenders this season (ESPN metric using NFL Next Gen Stats); has faced a double team on a league-high 277 pass rush plays, Second in the NFL with 47 first pressures, Leads all defensive linemen with 753 snaps played, Why Donald is a strong candidate to win the award: A three-time DPOY winner, Donald has proven to be a game-wrecker throughout his career. You can see [his] energy throughout the defense." The injuries to his groin, hip and knee have kept him out of multiple games. Panthers' Young all 'business now'. That helps your team tremendously. This is a repeat of last year except this time it's not justified. SUBSCRIBE! Congrats! Career Stats for OLB T.J. Watt. He also had a forced fumble in that game, giving . I mean, [defensive player of the year] is nice, but I want to be remembered for bringing some Super Bowls here. Sorry, Aaron Donald was unable to attend the ceremony because he was GETTING READY FOR THE SUPER BOWL. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Watt has 48 tackles on the season compared to Aarons 38. TJ Watt finished the 2020 season with 53 tackles, 41 QB hits, 15 sacks, and 23 tackles. He was injured early against Minnesota on Dec. 9, and later that weekend, Parsons had a strip sack against Washington that was returned for a touchdown by Armstrong. Time for Tomlin and co to figure this S*** out and get this team back into title contention. T.J. Watt plays one of the physical positions on the field. Congrats! Donald has 10 sacks, which ranks 10th and is six behind Watt. Garrett broke the franchise record for sacks in a game, topping the Cleveland record of four set by Andra Davis in 2003. In the same way that Ben Roethlisberger doesnt have awards because he spent the vast majority of his career in the AFC with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning taking home every award in the books, T.J. Watt is going to struggle to get a DPOY award with Aaron Donald showing hes in a league of his own. I always thought to myself why cant I do that?. The farther to the top a player is, the more often they were credited with a pass-rush win. Irrelevant' pick on Toledo's Johnson. At the NFL Honors show, Watt was named AP Defensive Player of the Year over Donald, the first time in his career hes won the award. Collapsing the middle of the pocket and pushing the quarterback farther so the edges have easier angles is important, Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt do a really good job of that and it is a huge part of T.J. Watt and Bud Duprees sack numbers. Privacy Policy. pic.twitter.com/m1vzrD88WU. This season, Donald played 17 games compared to Watts 15 games. No disrespect to Aaron Donald, he is probably the best defender of the last decade and a certified first ballot Hall of Famer but this just wasn't the year to give him Defensive Player of the Year.