“How the Steelers Outmaneuver T.J. Watt in Practice to Keep Their Offense Intact”
One of the challenges Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada faces in practice is making sure star edge rusher T.J. Watt doesn’t disrupt his unit with the game-changing plays that Watt is known for making every week.
To avoid this, Canada admits he has to design schemes around Watt, which makes sense. However, this approach can sometimes leave Watt frustrated, as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator shared.
“I always joke with T.J., ‘I’m not going to let you ruin practice today,'” Canada said during a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “You can’t be too stubborn. Sometimes he gets a little upset when we scheme around him, but I tell him, ‘I’m not going to be foolish and let you disrupt practice.'”
This approach contrasts with what some other teams do. The Las Vegas Raiders, for instance, take star edge rusher Maxx Crosby off the field entirely during practice to prevent him from causing disruptions, as head coach Antonio Pierce recently acknowledged.
“There are certain plays we need to see, and sometimes you have to pull (Crosby) off on those plays to give the offense the right look,” Pierce explained. “At this point in his career, he’s the kind of player who can be unstoppable when he sets his mind to it, and we both understand that.”