Commentary: T.J. Watt might be best defensive player ever

T.J. Watt has to do this for a bit longer to make the career comparisons legitimate. He probably has to be part of some playoff wins. He might even have to win a championship. But right now, in his prime, I will confidently say this: Watt is as destructive and game-altering a defensive player as there has ever been. Yes, that includes the great Lawrence Taylor. Sometimes, numbers lie. Sometimes, they tell the cold, hard truth. I'm thinking it's the closer to the latter when it comes to the Steelers' record with and without Watt. Simply put — and I realize guys like Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Minkah Fitzpatrick have figured in this — the Steelers almost always win when Watt plays and almost always lose when he doesn't. They are 63-28-2 when Watt plays. That's a .731 winning percentage, an average of nearly 13 wins in a 17-game season. They are 1-10 when he doesn't play (and please always remember that the winning touchdown in that 20-18 victory over the Buccaneers was a pass from Mitch Trubisky to Chase Claypool). That is No. 1-pick territory. Watt made one measly tackle in Sunday's victory over the Los Angeles Rams yet left an indelible imprint on the game in the form of perhaps its biggest play — one that maybe a handful of edge-rushers across NFL history could make (and that might be stretching it). It was the first play from scrimmage in the second half. The Steelers had done nothing offensively. They felt lifeless. The Rams went to an empty set. Watt lined up on Cooper Kupp in the slot but broke off his assignment to dart to the middle of the field and step in front of a Matthew Stafford pass for a 24-yard interception return that irrevocably altered the dynamics of the game. "Watch him read this," said CBS analyst Daryl Johnston upon seeing the replay. "This is unbelievable for an edge rusher." Sure, the Rams would come back to take a 17-10 lead, but the entire rhythm of the game changed with Watt's play. It helped jumpstart the Steelers offense. It instilled confidence. It made you think the Steelers could win, and it lit up the pro-Steelers crowd. I mean, go back and watch the play 10 times. I still can't believe it. Stafford couldn't, either. "Obviously I did not see him," Stafford told reporters afterward. "Thought I put it in a good spot, and then all of a sudden he flashed in front. He's a big-time player." He's an all-time player, is what he is. Watt came into this season with the third-most sacks (77½) through six seasons of any player in NFL history, behind only Reggie White and DeMarcus Ware (and he had only 2½ fewer sacks than Ware in nine fewer games) — and I can promise you those guys never lined up on Kupp or his like. Also remember that Watt missed most of last season. Quick aside here: I'm still marveling at the explanation Rams coach Sean McVay gave for Watt's interception. I'm not even sure Bill Belichick himself could translate the depths of football jargon to which McVay descended. "Bottom line is, we had hitches on the outside, little option route from the three spot and seams at the two spot," he said. "We obviously thought it was going to be a single high, Levi Wallace rolled up as a cloud, got Cooper working an option on the 'Mike,' and you don't feel that overlap from the hook player when Watt ended up dropping out of there. And that's what led to the turnover." Thanks, coach. Returning to Watt, look at his numbers this season: He is tied for the league lead with eight sacks (on pace for 23, which would break the league record of 22½ he tied two years ago) and has seven tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, an interception, 15 quarterback hits and five passes defended. Broken down another way, Watt's sacks and return plays (interception, fumble recoveries) have caused offenses to go 96 yards backward, including one to the end zone against Cleveland and one to the 6-yard line Sunday. And that's to say nothing of how he diverts attention and resources, helping to create plays for his teammates. By the way, have you ever seen this guy's numbers against the AFC North? Check this out: In 35 divisional games, Watt is 26-8-1 (.800 winning percentage) with 39 sacks, 47 tackles for loss, 71 quarterback hits, seven forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, three interceptions and a touchdown, according to Pro Football Reference. Other than that, he's been invisible. Listen, I'm like Taylor's old defensive coordinator Belichick, who scoffs every time somebody wants to compare a current player to Taylor. I still wouldn't do it in the total résumé context until Watt does this for a few more years. But I have to acknowledge what my eyes tell me: Watt belongs in such conversations, minus the scoffing. There is just no way any defensive player, including Taylor, ever had a more profound impact on games. Watt already ranks among the top 10 all-time in total votes for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, just ahead of Joe Greene and just behind Jack Lambert. I don't know that I've seen anything like him.