It was a four-quarter battle last Sunday between Lane Johnson and T.J. Watt. Johnson, the two-time All-Pro, admitted on Green Light with Chris Long that it was a long day at office against Watt, peeling back the curtain on what it’s like to face the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
“I was like, it’s going to be a long day,” Johnson told Long when talking about the Eagles’ game plan to pass more against the Steelers. “They get so many opportunities to kind of like try out their whole arsenal on you. He’s smart man. His athleticism and what he can do at the line of scrimmage is probably the best I’ve seen definitely this year.”
While Johnson won his fair share of reps, Watt had one of his better overall outings last Sunday. He finished with a packed stat sheet, logging seven tackles, two sacks, one tackle for loss and a forced fumble.
One of the key points Johnson noted about blocking Watt was the variance he has in his pass-rushing moves. Whether it’s a speed or power rush, using ghost moves, spins or a combination of all of the above, Johnson explained that Watt’s strategy is to bait offensive linemen into giving more width into their set to set him up for a counter move.
“A lot of times we’re looking for that lead arm to give it away,” Johnson said. “So yeah, with him, basically I’m trying to set vertical. I’m not trying to get, I’m trying to gain a little bit of width. I need some width in case he pushes the pocket some, but I don’t want to create so much width where I’m worried about the games.”
The “conventional” way of setting is on a 45-degree angle like the kick-set drill you’ll see at the NFL Scouting Combine. But given Watt’s threat off the edge, Johnson is trying to gain depth and maintain the pocket by keeping Watt wide and up the arc. The “games” Johnson noted are the twists and stunts the Steelers often do. Get too wide and the defensive tackle might split the B-gap and get after the quarterback.
Since the game, Johnson has been effusive in his praise for Watt as a player, even telling reporters his sole goal in the game was to not let him wreck the it.
As stated earlier, Johnson is one of the best right tackles in the NFL, so that’s some high praise coming for Watt. Unfortunately, their heavyweight matchup didn’t get to go all nine rounds with Watt leaving the game early with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter.
Fortunately, Watt won’t miss any action with his ankle sprain, cleared and expected to play against the Baltimore Ravens tomorrow. He’ll face rookie Roger Rosengarten who will have the same goal of holding Watt in check.
