The terrifying thought of TJ Watt going against the Colts offensive line will soon be a reality
![PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 13: T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts after a tackle in the game against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium on November 13, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 13: T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts after a tackle in the game against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium on November 13, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fhorseshoeheroes-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2018-2F08-2F1441221381-850x560-3b72481a7a8551788e22090ed6675d1e330889e3899dfa1cd680e0c22c81c58e.jpg)
On Monday night, the Indianapolis Colts will be tasked with blocking TJ Watt, a recipe for disaster for Indy’s struggling offensive line.
All season, the offensive line for the Indianapolis Colts has been really bad. Because of the offensive line, Indy hasn’t been able to run the ball or protect the quarterback. There have been spurts of promising moments or games, but overall, the offensive line has been a unit that is holding Indianapolis back. To make matters worse, things are about to get a lot tougher for Indy’s offensive line.
In Week 12, on Monday Night Football, the Colts will be hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers. That means arguably the worst offensive line in football will be tasked with blocking reigning Defensive Player of the Year, TJ Watt. Watt, healthy and back from injury, is looking as unblockable as ever as he tries to help the 3-7 Steelers get more wins.
Last season, when Watt was awarded Defensive Player of the Year, he played in 15 games and recorded 64 tackles, a league-high 21 tackles for a loss, five forced fumbles, and tied Michael Strahan’s sack record with 22.5. Ready to dominate another season, Watt partially tore his pectoral in Week 1 of the season and was sidelined for nine weeks. He returned for Pittsburgh in Week 10 and is set to be in the lineup when the Steelers travel to Indianapolis for Monday’s game.
TJ Watt just intercepted it out of thin air 😱 @_TJWatt
— NFL (@NFL) November 20, 2022
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Can the Colts contain TJ Watt?
In Week 1, before the injury, Watt had six tackles, three for a loss, one sack, two batted passes, and an interception. He was just wrecking the game. Since returning in Week 10, he’s been on the same type of time. On Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, Watt had six tackles, 0.5 sacks, two pass deflections, and an interception. Now that dominance is coming to take on Indy and its struggling offensive line.
This is a Colts offensive line that has allowed 40 sacks in 11 games, the most in the league this season. All season, defenses have had their way with Indy. No game was worse than Week 9 when Indianapolis gave up nine sacks to the New England Patriots. If Indy doesn’t figure something out, this game against the Steelers could be a repeat of the Patriots one.
Whether it’s getting the ball out fast, using the run game and screens to slow the pass rush down, or just straight-up quality blocking, the Colts need a plan to stop Watt from wrecking the game if Indy is going to win. If the offensive line plays as it has for the majority of the season, TJ Watt could take over the game and lead the Steelers to a victory.