*The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of SteelerNation.com, its sponsors or affiliates.*
By: Bill Washinski
SteelerNation.com
According to Pointsbet Sportsbook, Pittsburgh Steelers OLB, T.J. Watt entered into Week 17 as the favorite to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year, overtaking Los Angeles Rams DT, Aaron Donald. Most oddsmakers dubbed Donald as the favorite to win the award to start the year, followed by Watt, and it’s clearly been a close two-horse race since November 2020.
While a compelling argument can be made for either player, this time on Debunking the Media, we aim at Chris Simms. Per the normal disclosure, you are welcome to watch the YouTube video and destroy your brain cells if you wish, or just check the bullets below:
- At 0:25, Simms declares that he believes Watt should not be DPOY over Donald. This is fine, until he presents his argument, which is as absurd as Simms is dense.
- At 0:48, Simms notes that Watt doesn’t have to face double teams due to the presence of Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and Bud Dupree.
- At 1:02, Simms uses a condescending tonality stating the Rams do not have a good pass rush as he explicitly names Leonard Floyd as a player that is not a threat (ignoring the fact he had 10.5 sacks in the 2020 regular season).
- Curiously, instead of the most significant metric (sacks), Simms utilizes QB pressures as the primary statistic to base his argument, comparing Donald’s totals (93) to Watt (73).
There are a lot of things that make this interesting, or in other words, make Simms look even worse of an analyst than he was a quarterback (which is saying something because he absolutely sucked).
FAKE NEWS?
They provided no source when discussing QB pressures, most likely because it’s FALSE. Noted statistical website Pro Football Reference credits Donald with 42 QB pressures and credits Watt with 55 QB pressures.
DATA NEEDS NEEDS "A LOT" MORE THAN YOUR OPINION:
Consider this: If you were asked if 100 people surveyed said "yes" to a question, is that a lot? The answer is there is no way to know without a basis of comparison: like knowing how many people were surveyed. If it was 125, you might be inclined to say it was a lot, but if it was 10,000, it would be a hard no.
Simms wasn’t even aware of his ignorance (or he’s just that stupid – you decide) as in his ensuing analysis (0:35) he initially attributes the QB pressures to the wrong player (Watt) then double-downs on the point after his co-host clarified it. Simms never provides a basis of comparison (needing the co-host to provide – 1:13) – simply stating that 93 QB pressures is “a lot”.
Wow, thanks for the “profound insight” Simms, you dipshit.
SACKS AREN'T IMPORTANT?
At 0:33, Simms further illustrates his own incompetence with a dismissive statement about the difference in number of sacks, which came across as an attempt to discredit the importance of a statistic that even the most casual NFL fans understand, sounding like a pompous ass in doing so.
In a metric of averaging 1/game is elite, each singular sack or half-sack is relevant and don't pretend it is not.
DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY THE OPPOSITE ABOUT TWO MINUTES AGO?
At 3:47, Simms states that "Donald is the best player on the on the best defense in the league," just torpedoing his own sinking credibility even more.
At 1:00, Simms references that "the Rams don’t have a great pass rush," but one must wonder that when he ruptured his spleen as a player that he didn’t rupture his brain as well? Did he just forget what he already said about Watt having more help moments before?
WHAT IS A GOOD PASS RUSH THEN, CHRIS?
Not only were the Rams 53 sacks 2nd only to the Steelers 56 in the NFL, but they were also the only two teams in the NFL with more than 50 sacks in 2020 (a benchmark that both teams reached in 2019 as well). Using that as a basis for comparison, it would appear both teams have a good pass rush, despite what this poor excuse of an analyst uses to cherry pick inaccurate, obscure data to back up his spineless argument.
I can make a better argument that working with Mike Florio everyday categorically lowers your I.Q. Maybe I just did.
DONALD VS. WATT: WHO SHOULD WIN DPOY IN 2020?
If one wanted to argue that Donald is deserving of Defensive Player of the Year, it’s not hard to find real points to back up the claim. He’s already deservedly won the award 2x (2017/2018) and any analyst worth their salt could find real reasoning to back it up for 2020.
Still, it’s worth noting that Watt was 3rd in DPOY voting in 2019 and has built upon that performance. In 2020, Watt has been named Defensive Player of the Month 2x in one season, (2/3 times it has been awarded per this publishing), further illustrating the trend that he is emerging as among the league’s elite defensive players. Note, the last time a player won Defensive Player of the Month twice in a season, it was Aaron Donald in 2018 who went on to eventually win DPOY that season.
But if you prefer a deep dive into the numbers, per the Defensive Leaderboard:
- Sacks: Watt – 15, Donald – 13.5
- Tackles for Loss: Watt – 23, Donald – 14
- Tackles: Watt – 53 (43 solo), Donald – 45 (27 solo)
- QB Hits: Watt – 41, Donald – 26
- QB Pressures: Watt – 55, Donald – 42
- QB Hurries: Watt – 20, Donald – 15
- Forced Fumbles: Donald – 4, Watt – 2
- Interceptions: Watt – 1, Donald – 0
Donald generated 1 more turnover on the year than Watt, although Watt played in less games due to sitting out Week 17. Despite sitting out a game for playoff preparation, Watt led the NFL in sacks and tackles for loss. Both teams fielded formidable units, with the Rams finishing with the #1 ranked defense and the Steelers 3rd. Donald is a slam dunk All-Pro, but had lackluster performances down the stretch, particularly in back-to-back losses vs. the winless New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks that dropped the Rams from 1st in the NFC West to a Wild Card team. Due to the phenomenal 11-0 start and raising his game when the Steelers faced injury and adversity, it's the view of this contributor that T.J. Watt become the 8th Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Player of the Year winner.
Agree or disagree? Sound off in the comment section below!
#SteelerNation
