T.J. Watt Primed to Break Steelers Single-Season Sack Record

There's no doubting the impact a player such as T.J. Watt brings to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Watt, who has established himself as one of the most dominant defenders in the NFL, has aided in helping Pittsburgh to a 12-3 record with one game left in the regular season.

Last week, Watt became the first player in Steelers' franchise history to record multiple seasons with 14+ sacks amid a few other accolades.

.@_TJWatt is the:
• 1️⃣st player in #SteelersHistory with 14.0+ sacks in multiple seasons
• 7️⃣th player to register at least 15.0 sacks & 24 TFL in a single season since 1999
• 1️⃣4️⃣th player in NFL history with at least 14.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons pic.twitter.com/6IlziVOd6J
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 28, 2020

Heading into Pittsburgh's final game of the regular season, Watt might not be done etching his name in record books. A single sack against the Cleveland Browns next Sunday would tie Watt with James Harrison for most sacks in a single season (16). Two sacks would see Watt as the sole owner of the Steelers' sack record.

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2020 has been quite the year for Watt, as the former first-round pick currently leads the league in sacks (15), quarterback pressures (55 prior to week 15), quarterback hits (41) and tackles for loss (23).

While many believe Watt was snubbed from the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019, another dominant performance this season has convinced most in Pittsburgh the award is for Watt's taking this time around.

TJ Watt's statistical DPOY advantages heading into Week 17

-Leads NFL in sacks by 1.5
-Leads NFL in Tackles for loss by 6
-Leads NFL in Pressures by 14
-Leads NFL in QB Hits by 10
-Tied for NFL lead among DL w/ 7 pass deflections
-1 INT,2 FFs

I think he's gonna get it this year
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) December 28, 2020

It's also notable that James Harrison won the league's Defensive Player of the Year award when breaking Pittsburgh's single-season sack record in 2008. Watt will try to kill two birds with one stone in a week seventeen showdown with the Browns.

Watt's first encounter with Cleveland didn't bode well on the stat sheet, as the Browns were just one of four teams to hold Watt to zero sacks this season.

Round two may be a different story, as the New York Jets were able to register seven quarterback hits and four sacks on Baker Mayfield last week. Cleveland has also dealt with blows to their offensive line, although right tackle Jack Conklin will again get the start for Cleveland.

Regardless, not many right tackles in the league are equipped to handle a player such as Watt for an entire game. With record books and potential hardware on the line, Watt looks to end his regular season campaign on a note higher than any other to rush the passer for the black and gold.

Donnie Druin is a Staff Writer with AllSteelers. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.