Steelers' Cam Heyward defends T.J. Watt by pushing back against: 'Made up stats that nobody cares about'

Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowler Cam Heyward was vocal a few weeks back when it came to the age-old debate of pressures vs. sacks.

No one has felt the heat of such debate the way T.J. Watt has, as he led the league in sacks, but didn't win DPOY because his pass rush win rate, (a metric used to uncover pressure) wasn't high enough in the opinion of some voters .

Well, Cam Heyward has had enough of it.

Heyward's had enough

"If you can get a guy on the ground, you take it. If you have a pressure, yeah, good job, kudos, but he still completed the ball", Heyward said on a recent episode of his podcast Not Just Football ...

"...I think sometimes we rely on these made-up stats that nobody cares about. I think we've gotten to the baseball era. There's so many things that we're trying to add to it, and we're forgetting the definite thing of, can you swing a bat? Can you get a sack? Those are the most definite things that you've got to rely on."

I couldn't agree more with Heyward. The issue is not analytics or advanced metrics themselves. The issue is that they are often presented as the final determinant as opposed to a piece of the puzzle.

Just think about the concept of pass-rushing in totality. The goal starts by winning against the opposing linemen, hurrying toward the QB, and getting him either on the ground or strip-sacking him to force a turnover.

Sure forcing an errant throw is good, and one that forces an interception is even better, but pressure, is innately, a part of a sack. You cannot sack the QB without pressuring him.

And yet, players like Watt and Heyward, who when healthy can constantly wreak havoc on the pocket, and generate...Sacks are not viewed as highly as players who have a higher pressure ratio or pass rush win rate.

Ask any offensive coordinator what they can't have on a drive and they will tell you a sack. It kills all momentum and forces playcallers into the depths of their scheme often with little to no answer.

It's simple really. If it's 2nd and 5, and Watt pressures the QB and throws the ball away, that's a win for the defense as now it's third and five, and they can rally and force a punt.

But for the offense, it's only 3rd and 5.

If instead Watt sacks the QB on 2nd and 5 and the offense is tasked with 3rd and 12, or 3rd and 15, the odds of them converting just dropped immensely.

So in the end, sacks>pressures.

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