Steelers star T.J. Watt looked like his old, Defensive Player of the Year self in Pittsburgh’s 20-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the season opener, logging a strong four-tackle, two-sack performance highlighted by a 35-yard pick six.
And with that interception, Watt has joined a highly exclusive NFL club. According to ESPN Insights, the Steelers’ pass rusher now joins Hall of Fame defensive end Julius Peppers as one of two NFL players with 100 sacks and 10 interceptions over a career since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.
Watt is now up to 117 career sacks following his performance against Atlanta, but he needed the pick six to reach a 10th career interception.
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The 100 sack/10 interception club is an obscure stat, but it shows off defenders who primarily play at the line of scrimmage still finding ways to make an impact when the ball is in the air.
Watt has long had a knack for intercepting passes most defenders would simply bat down. And that skill turned out to be a key aspect of a tight win to open the regular season.
