Some good news out of Pittsburgh! It looks like T.J. Watt will be one of the Steelers' starting OLBs this season! Even the Steelers OLB's coach, Joey Porter wants him "to play until he's tired." From the Post Gazette article I saw, the vast majority of Steeler fans want Watt to start over James Harrison as well. Now Harrison's very old for the league (38), but it's still a great sign that it looks like Watt will be starting as a rookie.
James Harrison's new role: 'Safety net,' not starter
ED BOUCHETTE
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
ebouchette@post-gazette.com
1:50 PM
AUG 14, 2017
It has not been that way recently, including the first half of last season when Jarvis Jones and Harrison traded series at right outside linebacker. Porter explained that in recent years they have not had the kind of players at those positions “who it was just theirs and you knew it was theirs” so they were forced to “rotate them just to try to get something out of everybody.”
Not anymore, Porter said.
“Now it’ll be 48 [Dupree] and 90 [Watt], and they’ll just play until they’re tired. And when they get tired, somebody will come and relieve them. But it won’t be ‘This is your series and this is the next one’s series.’ We don’t have to do that.”
Porter noted that in previous eras, the Steelers rode with just two players primarily on the outside.
“It’s like when [LaMarr] Woodley and Harrison were in their heyday, there was no reason to pull them off. When me and [Jason] Gildon were out here, there was no reason to pull us off.
“Now we finally have that. I mean, so, we’re not going to stunt their growth and pull them out when they’re not doing anything wrong. We’re going to let them play.”
Harrison, the franchise leader with 79.5 career sacks, succeeded Porter as the starting right outside linebacker when Mike Tomlin arrived in 2007. He knows the situation, Porter said, although he may not be happy about it.
“That’s why he’s here; he’s going to fight it,” Porter said of the expected lesser playing time for him. “But his role is his role. He’s a relief pitcher. Until we need you, the young guys are going to play. You’re a good safety net to have; if somebody’s not getting the job done, we happen to know we have a wily veteran that we can put into the game. But to be honest going in, we have two young first-rounders who shouldn’t be tired. And when they do get tired, we’ll make the adjustments we need to.
“I know the old guy wants to play but at the same time it’s hard to get in there if those guys are doing the job. If they’re doing their job and they’re playing at a high level, the understanding is understood. You don’t have to explain anything that you can see right there on tape.”
Watt made a grand preseason debut Friday night against the New York Giants with two early sacks, a pass breakup and more. He played nearly the entire game and added special teams to his duties. He went unblocked for his second sack but Porter said that one was particularly impressive.
“That sack was just a good, instinctive, open-field play,” Porter said. “A lot of people can miss that. His change of direction is better than what people think. They don’t know he’s a great athlete in space. They say ‘Oh, nobody blocked him.’ I’ve seen a lot of people miss that tackle. It’s not that nobody blocked him, it’s that he’s changing direction, he put his foot on the ground, got right back on to make that.”
Dupree was supposed to open his second season in 2016 as their starter on the left outside but had hernia surgery during training camp. That prevented him from playing until Nov. 20, but he came on strong with 4.5 sacks in the final seven games. A minor injury kept him out of the first preseason game. Porter believes he will play Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.
“We definitely expect big things. He gave us a good tease at the end and made some splash plays for us but I would love to have that from week one through the playoffs.”
Porter likes the depth too at outside linebacker with veterans Harrison and Arthur Moats behind the two young starters along with possibly Anthony Chickillo. On paper, it’s the best group they’ve had since Woodley and Harrison teamed up.
“But going into this season with having all these good guys, these healthy guys, it’s time to play our young guys. That’s what we drafted them for.
“I think we can really be effective and help the defense,’’ Porter said, “and bring those sacks we’ve been missing.”
Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
