The Pittsburgh Steelers have top-of-the-line exterior linebacker tandems within the league with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, and behind them, they’ve an rising younger go rusher in Nick Herbig and growing gamers like Jeremiah Moon. Whereas Watt and Highsmith have a number of the greatest array of pass-rush strikes out of any edge rusher, and Watt helps the youthful guys develop their strikes. Exterior linebackers coach Denzel Martin mentioned Watt is nearly as good of a trainer as he’s a participant.
Martin additionally mentioned that Watt continues to be utilizing a transfer he discovered from James Harrison when the latter got here to Steelers coaching camp.
“T.J.’s picked up from guys like Deebo. You noticed him in coaching camp, and we nonetheless work on this transfer that Deebo confirmed us in coaching camp,” Martin mentioned through SteelersLive on Twitter. “There’s particular strikes we work via with all these guys. T.J.’s top-of-the-line academics, as he’s a participant. He can seize certainly one of these guys and present him what he does and the way he does it. These guys often choose it up and go.”
Watt labored extensively with Herbig over the offseason, and Martin singled out time with Herbig for example of Watt’s instructing skill. It’s going to make the room higher as a complete studying from one of the best go rusher within the league in Watt, and it’s cool to see Pittsburgh’s legacy keep it up with Harrison instructing Watt after which Watt instructing his teammates.
It’s a cool dynamic, and the event of the room going ahead goes to be enjoyable to watch. Herbig has already made a significant affect when he’s been on the sphere this 12 months, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him emerge as one of many league’s greatest sooner moderately than later. He’ll nonetheless be behind Watt and Highsmith, however the Steelers have used three-outside linebacker packages this 12 months. That would proceed when Herbig will get wholesome, which he’s optimistic will occur after the bye week.
Watt’s management is big for Pittsburgh’s protection, and guys are taking to what he’s instructing and what he’s doing on the sphere. Whereas nobody has the pure pure skill that Watt does, main by instance builds camaraderie and units an ordinary for different guys to comply with. The success of Watt and Pittsburgh’s exterior linebackers is an enormous cause why the group is 6-2, and if the room continues to play the identical method within the second half, the Steelers will probably be powerful to beat.
