JJ Watt calls out ‘double standard’ in Tua Tagovailoa discourse, breaks down QB’s in-play thought process 2024
JJ Watt has expertise on either side of the aisle by way of being an NFL participant and being an NFL media member.
Watt is among the finest defensive gamers of all time as a three-time NFL Defensive Participant of the Yr (tied for essentially the most in league historical past) after taking part in 12 seasons as a defensive lineman with the Houston Texans (2011-2020) and the Arizona Cardinals (2021-2022).
He’s now an analyst on CBS Sports activities “NFL At this time” pregame present on Sunday’s, and Watt is not right here for the takes within the soccer world from followers and media members alike that Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ought to have slid and guarded his well being on a fourth-down scramble in a 31-10 loss on “Thursday Night time Soccer” in opposition to the Buffalo Payments. Watt seems like if Tagovailoa had executed that and never picked up the primary down, he would as a substitute be ridiculed for not being a staff participant.
“I’ve seen quite a lot of conversations final night time and this morning about ‘Tua wants to slip. He is gotta get down. He is aware of he cannot take hits like that.’ I really feel like quite a lot of those self same individuals are those who could be crushing him if he slides and comes up brief on fourth down within the pink zone when his staff is making an attempt to muster any semblance of a comeback that they’ll. It is a bit of a double commonplace for my part,” Watt mentioned in a video he posted on Twitter Friday morning. “Everyone desires to see modern-day gladiators, however they do not need the guilt that comes together with it. They need a man to decrease his shoulder. They need a man to energy by means of. They need a man to get the primary down. However then when he does that and will get damage, all of them wish to say ‘no, no completely slide. Why would he do this? He is acquired to guard himself. Why would he do this?'”
As a reminder to followers watching the sport at residence, Watt makes clear the yellow line that pops up on TV to point the primary down is a broadcast graphic and never one thing the gamers see throughout sport motion. Thus, Tagovailoa decreasing his shoulder with Payments security Damar Hamlin incoming was an comprehensible transfer in Watt’s eyes.
“First, let’s check out the logistics of that state of affairs as a result of I’ve seen quite a lot of armchair quarterbacks saying ‘he needed to know he had the primary down. Quarterbacks all the time know,'” Watt mentioned. “Earlier than the play, completely. Quarterback is aware of precisely the place the sticks are. As soon as the play begins, he is dropping again. He is wanting by means of his reads, He is scrambling up by means of the road. There isn’t any yellow line on the sector. He’s simply making an attempt to get to the place he thinks the primary down is. He’s in the course of the sector between the hashes. He is doing his finest. He isn’t 100% positive he has it, and there’s a defender proper in entrance of him. Attempting to offer his staff an opportunity at a comeback, he lowers his shoulder and tries to make a play. Will get the primary down and clearly an especially unlucky state of affairs happens.”
In Watt’s eyes, the play during which Tagovailoa suffered his third NFL concussion and first since struggling two within the 2022 season, was all the time going to be a lose-lose state of affairs for the 26-year-old.
“To look at all people sit right here and act like ‘he is acquired to get down. He is acquired to slip. We all the time need our gamers to slip in that state of affairs.’ To me, that simply, being on the opposite facet and figuring out what if seems like for followers to criticize your each determination, it simply does not really feel true,” Watt mentioned. “As a result of if he does not do this, the narrative is ‘he isn’t robust. He isn’t a pacesetter. He does not deserve the massive contract. That is why Tua’s not the man as a result of he is not prepared to put it on the road for the staff.’ All I am saying is maintain that very same vitality on either side.”
Watt finally hopes the remainder of the world can lower NFL gamers some slack in moments just like the one Tagovailoa went by means of Thursday night time as a result of the very last thing the league’s “modern-day gladiators” deserve is critique for placing their our bodies on the road.