In the 2023 NFL season, T.J. Watt, the standout edge-rusher for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has made
headlines with an impressive total of 14 sacks over 12 games. However, despite his remarkable
performance, his defensive coordinator, Teryl Austin, has been pondering some unconventional theories
to explain why Watt hasn’t had an even greater influence on the field. Austin’s theories draw an
unexpected parallel to former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, particularly his struggles at the free-throw line
during his dominant career.
After the Steelers faced a tough 24-10 defeat against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13, Watt expressed
his frustration regarding perceived inconsistencies in officiating. He stated, “The NFL has something
going against me. I don’t want to speak negatively about them, but I’ll leave it at that.” During this game,
Watt notched six tackles and 0.5 sacks, ending a streak of four consecutive games with at least one sack.
This performance was overshadowed by a noticeable sideline absence due to injury and missed calls on
potential holding penalties that could have aided his defensive efforts.
Austin has come out strongly in support of Watt, acknowledging the challenges elite rushers like him
face. He likened the situation to the “Hack-a-Shaq” strategy used against O’Neal, where defenders would
deliberately commit fouls to mitigate his dominance. “These guys will hold you as much as they can
because often that’s the only way they can block you,” Austin explained. He emphasized that while they
could voice their grievances about the officiating, it wouldn’t change the reality of the situation. Instead,
the team must continue to fight through it.
The analogy underscores a significant point: both Watt and O’Neal possess such extraordinary skills that
officiating them fairly becomes a challenge. Austin highlighted how repeated infractions against
dominant players often go unnoticed by referees over time, simply because of their remarkable talent.
“People would hack Shaq all the time,” he noted, suggesting that the same principle applies to Watt, who
seems to attract a disproportionate amount of holding during games.
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