With the Super Bowl just hours away, this means that the National Football League announces its annual awards. It is then that you decide who is considered the Most Valuable Player (MVP), Offensive Player of the Year, Rookies of the Year and, importantly for Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt, the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Unfortunately for Watt, the 2020 award went to Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams.
This would be the second consecutive year that Watt finished second overall in the poll, last year losing to the New England Patriots cornerback, Stephon Gilmore.
Defensive Player of the Year Vote:
Aaron Donald: 27
TJ Watt: 20
Xavien Howard: 3– NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) February 7, 2021
With prizes like this, many factors come into play. Last season, many thought that the reason Watt didn’t win the prize was because the Steelers didn’t make it to the playoffs, while the Patriots did. This season, many are suggesting the fact that the Steelers disappointingly lost to the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Playoffs Wild Card round, and Donald’s Rams defeated the Seattle Seahawks to advance to the NFC Playoffs Divisional Round.
In any case, it is difficult to ignore basic statistics. Here are the statistics that Watt produced this year …
Watt statistics for 2020:
Matches: 15
Approaches: 53
TFL: 23 *
Bags: 15 *
Accesses QB: 41
Forced Fumbles: 2
Passing defenses: 8
Interceptions: 1
* Led the NFL
This does not mean that Donald did not deserve or did not deserve the award, but you wonder what Watt will have to do to receive his first defensive player award. In the meantime, he will continue to look at his older brother JJ Watt, who has three Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes around black and gold as they prepare for the league’s new year, NFL Free Agency and the NFL Draft 2021.