Tag Archives: TJ Watt

When Pittsburgh Was The Center of The NFL’s Defensive Universe

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Over the last two weeks NFL pundits, including yours truly have been upset at the way the Steelers organization is playing games with TJ Watt. How can you play games with a future Hall of Famer like this? Sign him and go into the 2025 season with optimism and your defensive play maker ready to lead the charge! I joked about it on my Facebook page with a few former players when it hit me… wait a minute we’ve been here before.

Now all of us historians harken back to the great Steelers defense of the 1970’s and in particular focus on the ’74 draft where they selected 4 future Hall of Famers. Only Jack Lambert on the defense was drafted that year as FS Donnie Shell was an undrafted free agent. The Steel Curtain front four, Linebackers Ham and Russell had been assembled from 1963-74 when they broke through to win Super Bowl IX. Not one group that grew into menace from a single draft class.

Not only did this group achieve accolades but they shaped the next generation of NFL defensive excellence and the Steelers penchant for pinching pennies derailed that group also.

It was their 1987 draft class…. let’s set this up for you:

First round selection, HOF CB Rod Woodson went to 7 of his 11 Pro Bowls in the Steel City, won the 1993 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and made the All Time 75th team in ’94. Woodson came within a few votes from back-to-back NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards & finished in the top 5 – 3 times in 4 years (1993-’96). He was one of the most physically gifted CB which allowed him to excel once he aged and moved to Safety.

Rod went to the Pro Bowl 4 times at his new position and was All Pro twice for the Baltimore Ravens & Oakland Raiders. He was one of the leaders on one of the greatest defenses in NFL history in 2000 as a mentor to Ray Lewis. A #2 defense that set the record for fewest points in a season (165) and won Super Bowl XXXV going away. Before these stays he started at CB for the ’97 49ers who ranked #3 defensively and made it to the NFC Championship Game. His 2002 Raiders played in Super Bowl XXXVII where at the age of 37, received his 11th Pro Bowl and his 8th All Pro selection after a career high 8 interceptions. In addition to Canton, Woodson was named to The NFL’s All Time 100th Anniversary Team in 2019.

The most intimidating Steeler of them all…. Greg Lloyd

Greg Lloyd came in the 6th round & crashed the pass pocket from his OLB position making 5 straight Pro Bowls (’91-’95). They deployed him in Nickle and Dime situations both off the ball and as an edge rusher. In those 5 seasons he had 37 sacks, 27 forced fumbles and 6 interceptions in what The Chancellor believes was a Hall of Fame career. We’ll cover his total numbers later but we have to introduce everyone. Lloyd matured into the menacing face of the Steelers defense and twice was in the top 3 in NFL Defensive Player of The Year voting. Yes… at the same time as Woodson…in ’94-95.

Not a bad start until you get into the frugal way the Steelers are with homegrown talent. This led to a holdout after 5 years for FS Thomas Everett who was a hard hitter in the secondary who didn’t receive the accolades nationally his teammates had but how valuable was he? The Steelers dealt him to Dallas during his holdout at the start of ’92. #27 was a 4th round selection out of Baylor. The same school that produced HOF Mike Singletary.

Now you’re thinking “wait, this isn’t greatest ever talent”… well…. going into the 1992 season the Cowboys Achilles’ heel was their secondary.  Their draft tells you that picking up SS Darren Woodson, CB Kevin Smith, and CB Clayton Holmes in the first few rounds. In 1991, Dallas had lost to 4 run and shoot teams including a 38-6 drubbing to Detroit in the divisional round of the playoffs. The biggest blowout loss of any NFC team in the 1990’s. They had some coverage issues but Everett solidified the secondary, put players in good spots and made several plays that defined the Super Bowl XXVII rout of my Buffalo Bills.  He helped turn the secondary into a team strength.

Not Charles Haley…it was Thomas Everett that pushed the Cowboys over the top back in the early 1990s.

In the 2nd quarter when Buffalo was threatening to take the lead, Dallas had a goal line stand where Buffalo went for it on 4th down from the 1. Who intercepted the ball in the end zone to totally deflate the Bills? Thomas Everett. After halftime down 28-10 and fired up to get back into the game in the 3rd quarter, who read a short route and jumped it returning an interception to Buffalo’s 10 to end the competitive phase of the game?  That same Thomas Everett!

They were 3-1 against top 10 passing offenses and rose from 17th in total defense to 1st. Their pass defense rose from 23rd to 5th in their ’92 Super Bowl winning season. Yet he made his only Pro Bowl in 1993 and made a huge play intercepting Steve Young in the 2nd quarter of the NFC Championship setting up the TD to go up 14-0 in a raucous Texas Stadium. Two years with the Cowboys and 2 Super Bowl titles before finishing his career in Tampa. So Everett did help shape NFL history with pivotal plays for The Team of the Decade in championship play. Still sleep on Everett? Watch this

Which brings us to ’87 5th round selection Hardy Nickerson… now where the underpaying Steelers for the 2nd straight year lost a defensive stalwart that wanted out. It was ’93 and free agency had come and where Pittsburgh brass didn’t value Nickerson, former Bengal Head Coach Sam Wyche who had faced him twice a year did signing him to play in Tampa. Yes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who had just had their NFL record 10th straight season with double digit losses. Nickerson had played well like Everett and didn’t get the recognition nationally his counterparts Lloyd and Woodson had… so what did he do in Tampa?

Well… Nickerson became the centerpiece of Defensive Coordinator Floyd Peters’ 4-3 at Middle Linebacker and a terror was set loose. He became a sideline-to-sideline tracker and hit everything in sight. In ’93 he led the NFL in tackles with a leauge record 214 while making his 1st Pro Bowl and voted 1st team All Pro. It was only the 4th time a Tampa Bay defender was voted to the Pro Bowl in Hawai’i and the 2nd All Pro selection since the team’s inception in 1976.

His play was so dominant he broke the team season tackle record in a week 13 win over Chicago. There were still 3 games to go in 1993! So his 1st season ended with 214 tackles, recorded a sack, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and had an interception.

Or think of it like this… he recorded 96 more tackles than his Hall of Fame teammate Derrick Brooks (118) recorded in ’02 when he was NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Chew on that for a second…

The Chancellor believes this spring boarded Nickerson into what was a Pro Football Hall of Fame career and shared this in a past article Nickerson for Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Nickerson went on to 4 All Pro selections and 5 Pro Bowls in 7 years and once finishing in the Top 10 in Defensive Player of The Year voting. His 4th and final All Pro & Pro Bowl selection came in ’99 when he led the NFL’s 3rd ranked defense to the NFC Championship Game. They were shutting down The Greatest Show on Turf beating them on the road 6-5 (really?) until 4:44 to go when Kurt Warner threw the winning touchdown. This was one of the greatest teams in history & Nickerson’s crew alomst kept them from Super Bowl XXXIV. In that game he had 6 tackles defensed a pass and had a timely interception.

With Kevin Greene after the Induction ceremony.

Why the center of the NFL’s Defensive Universe? The Steelers frugal ways are what kept us from seeing possibly the NFL’s best array of talent on one defense. Keep in mind by 1993 they became Blitzburgh when they signed free agent and Taylor Blitz Pro Football Hall of Fame article alumnus Kevin Greene to the fold. Greene led the NFL in sacks with 14 and went on to be the NFL’s All Time sack leader for a LB with 160. He made the Pro Bowl in 2 of his 3 years in The Blast Furnace and made 1 of his 3 career All Pros there.

Then again the Steelers went cheap and let Greene go to start a younger OLB in Jason Gildon. A damn good player but not the leader that Kevin was coming off that edge across from Lloyd.

For those of you keeping score at home –

Without adding 5 time Pro Bowl/4 time All Pro Strong Safety Carnell Lake & 3-time Pro Bowl and 2 time ILB Levon Kirkland these riches read off like a Madden All Star lineup that doesn’t appear real.

Woodson, Greene, Everett, Nickerson & Lloyd combined for 27 Pro Bowls, 17 All Pro Selections & 7 Top Ten votes for NFL Defensive Player of the Year in various seasons, 2 NFL sack champion totals and 2 enshrined in Canton. Yet the Steelers went cheap and robbed football fans of what would have been one of history’s finest defenses. These players matured into menaces and spread to every corner of the NFL as trained assassins. They were supposed to be the successor to Philadelphia’s Gang Green Defense and would have ruled the 1990s just as the 70’s Steelers dominated their era.

If we add Lake & Kirkland back in these defenders had 24 conference championship appearances 8 Super Bowl appearances winning 3 rings. Anchored by the 1987 Steeler draft class… just think about it:

  • Greene led the ’96 Panthers to the NFC Championship in their 2nd year leading the league in sacks again.
  • Nickerson was the 1st piece and building block for what would become Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl defense.
  • Everett was a defensive leader on The Team of The Decade winning 2 Super Bowls in Dallas.
  • Woodson’s HOF career saw him switch to Free Safety and play on The Chancellor’s 2nd best defense in NFL history. The 2000 Baltimore Ravens

 

TJ coming off in Kevin’s spot.

So Steeler fans hold your breath with the Steelers playing around with TJ Watt’s contract. They’ve been known to let Hall of Fame level talent go. Do you realize none of these great players finished their careers in Pittsburgh?? Uh oh TJ… and they traded hard hitting FS Minkah Fitzpatrick last week. Sigh… and now Steeler fans are losing it since he was a no-show at minicamp. Stay tuned!

 

Please lend your thoughts as well by writing in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to the address below. Please be respectful and positively lend your voice:

Caught up to Lloyd in Canton.

Write & nominate Hardy Nickerson /Greg Lloyd / Carnell Lake
Send letters to:
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Attention Hall of Fame Selection Committee
2121 George Halas Dr NW, Canton,
OH 44708

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Dedicated to the memories of Bill Nunn, Chuck Noll, Sam Wyche, Kevin Greene, & Floyd Peters

We have an update on TJ Watt on the 17th of August, a week after this article, he was signed to an extension. About time!

He is a PFHoFer, don’t play around with his contract. A dangerous game.

 

Taylor Blitz Defensive Player of the Year 2024: Andrew Van Ginkel

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As we power toward the 2025 season, we have some unfinished business and its time to put it down on record although social media-wise many know who The Chancellor had selected: Viking Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkle.

At the start of 2024 many pundits had the Vikings finishing in the middle of the pack, having lost longtime QB Kirk Cousins and then rookie JJ McCarthy to a season ending knee injury. By the time  journeyman Sam Darnold took over at QB, no one knew what to make of this team or had a focal point Coach O’Connell could hang his hat on. Enter DC Brian Flores and his free agent LB he coached in Miami.

Here at Taylor Blitz we’ve chronicled defenses historically that thrive on speed, confusion and the ability to force turnovers. Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores is a Bill Belichick disciple and brought Fritz Shurmer’s Zone Blitzing/Amoeba principles to this Twin Cities defense. The Chancellor chronicled “The Eagle Defense” featuring Kevin Greene rom the LA Rams 89 playoff run.

Weakside OLB

Van Ginkel was a wildcard on the defense and it was showcased from game 1. He lined up at OLB in a 3-4, double A Gap blitzing LB, in a 3-3 Nickle Backer, and the only ‘backer inside in the dime defense (red dot) and he terrorized Daniel Jones all day.

Dime “A” Gap ‘Backer

He finished with 4 tackles 1 sack, 2 QB hits, 1 pass break up and a game clinching 3rd quarter pick 6 of a bubble screen to ballon the Vikings lead to 28-6. This time he was lined up at Outside Linebacker on the Strong Side. A sudden lightning strike that brought the boo-birds out in Giants Stadium

3-3 Strong Side Outside ‘Backer

This play galvanized the team infusing belief and confidence in the 1-0 Vikings & sent the Giants into the tailspin that ended Daniel Jones’ tenure in New York as a starting QB. Ironically it was Van Ginkel who knocked him out of a game the season before when he was with Miami… yet I digress.

He finished off New York when in the season’s 5th week the surprising Vikings (4-0)  took on the reeling uncertain Jets (2-2) in London. With a 3-0 lead and Aaron Rodgers driving, Van Ginkel struck from an interior rush position baiting him into a “hot read” interception he took back 63 yards for a TD that had the Vikings up 10-0. Panic and dread came over the Jets sideline as Minnesota went on to a 23-17 win.

Wait.. finish off New York? Yes. Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh was fired just two days later after a disappointing 2-3 start.

The Vikings headed into their bye week at 5-0 and the defense was leading the NFL in sacks and ranked 4th overall. Van Ginkel & company stayed on The Chancellor of Football’s radar throughout the year.

For the season Van Ginkel finished the season with 79 total tackles, 11 1/2 sacks, 18 tackles for loss and an additional 19 hits on the QB. He tied for the team lead in tackles for loss which leads to punts to end drives and was 2nd on the team by 1/2 a sack. However he had 2 season changing interceptions for touchdowns that catapulted him to a 2nd team All Pro selection.

National recognition by the sporting press usually comes a year after a player has achieved a status where that doesn’t happen here.

The Vikings finished with a middle of the pack defense (16th) however a closer look shows they were tied for 1st in turnovers forced (33) and finished 5th (49) in sacks. Going into the winner take all finale the Vikings were 14-2 and had given up a lot of garbage yards in their wins. If they gave up just 201 yards less for the season they finish in the top ten defensively.

I wish he had more than the 1 forced fumble but this was a well rounded performance and worthy of Taylor Blitz Times Defensive Player of the Year.

Other Notable Taylor Blitz Defensive Player of the Year

2023. TJ Watt – Pittsburgh Steelers

2022 Hasaan Reddick – Philadelphia Eagles

2021 TJ Watt – Pittsburgh Steelers

2020 Aaron Donald – LA Rams

2019 Shaq Barrett – Tampa Bay Bucs

 

2018 Khalil Mack – Chicago Bears

 

 

2017 Aaron Donald – LA Rams   

2016 Khalil Mack – Oakland Raiders

 

 

2015 Thomas Davis – Carolina Panthers

2014 J.J. Watt – Houston Texans

2013 Richard Sherman – Seattle Seahawks

2012 Navorro Bowman: San Francisco 49ers

2011 D’Qwell Jackson: Cleveland Browns

2020 AFC North Preview: What will Lamar Jackson Do for an Encore

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Last year we saw a transcendent performance at the quarterback position in Lamar Jackson. His 1,206 rushing yards was an NFL record while teaming with fellow 1,000 yard rusher in Mark Ingram. He threw for 36TDs as the Ravens did have defenses in a quandary over where the ball was. The read option was a weapon of epic proportions with Jackson’s ball handling & dazzling athleticism. 

However the Titans exposed Jackson’s weakness completing passes outside of his tight ends and outside the hashmarks in the playoffs. They also played disciplined gap control defense and made sure not to commit forcing Jackson into indecision handing off and in his pass options. He has to improve on his outside touch.

2019 AFC North Predictions

  1. Baltimore Ravens 13-3*
  2. Pittsburgh Steelers 10-6**
  3. Cleveland Browns 8-8
  4. Cincinnati Bengals 4-12

In the Steel City Big Ben stabilizes an offense that sputtered with Mason Rudolph and “Duck” Hodges. Yet the defense drug the team to an 8-8 season as they emerged as a top ten defense (5th) and were solid against the pass (3rd) while leading the NFL with 54 sacks and 2nd in interceptions with 20. 

TJ Watt and Bud Dupree combined for 26 sacks were the modern version of Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd. Their disruptive pocket presence along with FS Minkah Fitzpatrick makes this the NFL’s best in defense. They will benefit with continuity and an emerging Devin Bush at inside linebacker.

Roethlisberger will get the Steelers back to the playoffs however the team will come up short of Baltimore without a true running back. James Conner is a ball carrier that can get the yards a play is designed for but nothing more. JuJu Smith Shuster is still trying to show he is a #1 receiver and has a chance with Ben back at the helm. Ben can will this team to 3 more wins with a pedestrian set of skill players with this defense. Good enough for a wildcard.

Its put up or shut up time in Cleveland for Baker Mayfield as the team brought in Case Keenum who is a stop gap veteran much in the way Tennessee picked up Tannehill last season. There is simply too much talent for this team to be 22nd in offense. 

Nick Chubb lead the NFL in rushing up until the final week of his sophomore season. He finished with 1,494 yards and 8 TDs and is the complete package. With former rushing champion Kareem Hunt backing him up they have insurance. Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham are a solid set of receivers but they don’t seem to complement each other. They seem to be the same receiver however a good coordinator should able to get the ball to them. Can Mayfield improve with his 3rd offensive coordinator? 

The division is Baltimore’s for the taking and with the drafting of Ohio St’s JK Dobbins he has a stronger skillset than an aging Mark Ingram. The Ravens should repeat last year’s performance with a 1-2 punch. They’ve added DE Calais Campbell to fortify their defense also. The question is can the Ravens make it to Super Bowl LV.

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Taylor Blitz Times Coach of the Year: Mike Tomlin

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No coach in the 2019 season has earned the tip of the cap for their coaching performance more than Mike Tomlin. One interesting aspect was the respect earned once the season was underway with his former malcontent Antonio Brown. Believe it or not Brown deserves some of the credit.

Once AB’s antics tore at the fabric of the Oakland Raiders during the preseason, The Chancellor’s first thoughts were “What antics did Tomlin quell in the Steelers locker room over the last 5 years?”

We heard some of the rumblings and antics as his tenure was coming to an end there but nothing like his month long Oakland stay. Nor his few weeks in New England. Social media outbursts and squabbles with the collective front offices in less than 2 months. By October Brown was out of football.

Respect for Tomlin started to accrue then, even on the heels of public sentiment among many in Steeler nation who have called for his head. Even Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw chimed in late in 2016 on FS1’s Speak for Yourself:

Keep in mind this comes before his 1-4 start this year after losing potential Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the season. Ben was to be the stabilizing on field leader to aid a rebuilding team from a tumultuous 2018 season. All World RB LeVeon Bell sat out and the aforementioned Brown’s leaving the team. The Steelers were even 0-2 when Ben was lost…. so Tomlin led a team missing these three skilled players who had a combined 16 Pro Bowls between them without a dedicated succession in place.

While the Stillers sit at 8-5 and may not catch the AFC North leading Ravens, his team is 7-2 after a 1-3 start since their last loss to Baltimore. Tomlin has kept his team hitting hard and having belief they can win any game. He’s won all 8 games with Devlin “Duck” Hodges (3-0) and Mason Rudolph (5-3) as starting quarterbacks making their first starts.

The Steelers have lost another 3 games to injury to stand in receiver Ju Ju Shuster and 5 more for fill in running back James Conner. Yet they have plugged in low round draft picks at RB, QB, and WR and haven’t skipped a beat. He has had to take some risks like today’s fake punt in Arizona but he has turned back the clock here in the NFL’s 100th season to a tried and true approach… lean on your defense.

Tomlin’s Stillers defensive ranks:

For all the talk of the Packers pass rush of “The Jones Bros” in Green Bay, TJ Watt (12.5 sacks) and Bud Dupree (9.5) have been more of a hurricane with 9 forced fumbles compared to the Packers duo with only 2. They only have 2 more sacks combined 23 to 21 yet influenced their team’s outcome more over the last 2 months.

Dare we say they have revived the force coming off the edge reminiscent of Kevin Greene & Greg Lloyd??

One of the benefactors is midseason acquisition Minkah Fitzpatrick whose 5 interceptions and stellar play has solidified the back end of the defense. He has had an All Pro season and the voting should reflect it at the end of the year.

Ironically in a Facebook Steelers group when this team was 1-4 I joked how the Steelers saw this in 1976 when they had a defensive performance for the ages. Well Tomlin has taken his team back in time and has his team winning with brute force while infusing belief into a series of rookies on offense. This team will finish with an 11-5 record and no one will want any of this team as wildcard weekend approaches.

Next to Tom Flores taking the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl XV championship, Tomlin’s performance is one of the greatest single season coaching jobs in NFL history. To find a season remotely close to this you have to return to the 1991 Philadelphia Eagles when they lost Randall Cunningham in week 1 and fought to a 10-6 record. That season saw history’s last #1 defense against the run, #1 against the pass, and #1 overall… the trifecta while winning games with their 2nd, 3rd, & 4th string QBs.

Much like Tomlin has…

Will Pittsburgh win in a championship this year?? Time will tell but The Chancellor of Football has Mike Tomlin as Taylor Blitz Times Coach of the Year for 2019. In this historian’s eyes, Tomlin’s performance along with his Super Bowl XLIII season anoint him into the pantheon of great coaches no matter what Uncle Terry says.

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