Sound the alarm: In 2017, J.J. Watt has yet to rip down a quarterback who was holding onto a football.
For the first time in his career, Justin James has gone three games to start a season without a quarterback sack. Dating back to last season, the Houston Texans pass rusher has failed to sack a QB in four straight games played. Watt has never gone five straight games without registering a sack.
Ahead of Sunday's tilt versus the Tennessee Titans, Watt isn't fretting about the goose egg in the sack column.
"I think that stat-watching becomes very tricky," Watt said, via the Houston Chronicle. "Just because the numbers may not be there, whatever it may be, it's not necessarily always reflective of exactly what's happening. If I have to take on two guys or three guys for our guys to go get four forced fumbles in a game, I'll do that all game long. I don't care. If I end the year with zero sacks but we have 40 as a team and 20 forced fumbles, I'll take that all day long.
"Especially the older I get in my career... I don't care about the stats, to be honest with you. All I want to do is win football games. But they will come. Like you said, the hits are there. They're coming. But if teams are going to throw the whole house and the kitchen sink at me, we have some incredible players who are going to make great plays."
Sacks are a fluky stat. Watt remains disruptive despite not taking down a quarterback who happens to be holding a pigskin at the time. Pressure is production, especially for a player who lines up all over the formation. Watt leads the Texans with four quarterback hits, earned 14 QB pressures (per Pro Football Focus), and has three tackles for loss (including the first two plays from scrimmage last week versus New England).
When Watt is on the field, offensive lines must account for him on every play with multiple blockers, which frees a teammate to make a tackle or sack. The QB takedowns will come for the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. In the meantime, Watt will remain a game-wrecking force.
