by Lane Johnson prevails again in big game against TJ Watt originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
There was a lot of drama leading up to the Eagles’ game against the Steelers on Sunday afternoon, and Lane Johnson didn’t have time for it.
He had enough on his plate.
“I was just thinking about TJ Watt today,” Johnson said after the 27-13 win. “I didn’t reveal anything else. Give the ball away, don’t let TJ Watt ruin the game. Because you see this guy in the movie destroying football games. I hope he’s well. As a competitor, he’s probably one of the best I’ve ever played against.”
Watt was injured near the end of the game, but later said he only suffered a lower ankle injury.
The Eagles’ offense is unique because they base so much of what they do on leaving their two massive tackles – Johnson at right tackle and Jordan Mailata at left tackle – on islands with little to no help.
Being on an island against Watt can be a terrible place, but Johnson more than held his own.
“Lane gives you a lot of confidence going into the game because rushers in the NFL don’t do much better than Watt,” head coach Nick Sirianni said Monday. “He is one of the best players in the NFL. Lane is one of the best players in the NFL.
“Every time two of the best players in their positions compete against each other in our game, it is always something special for me. It’s fun to watch. It’s fun to watch as a coach. As fans, it will definitely be fun to watch. Lane played a truly outstanding game yesterday against another phenomenal player. It just gives you a lot of confidence to be 65 out there week after week.”
While Watt ended up with three pressures and two sacks, Johnson was not credited with any of those sacks by ProFootballFocus. On the first play, Jalen Hurts was about to pounce when Watt chased after him for a 0-yard sack.
On the second pass, Johnson caught Watt 12 yards deep and then Hurts tried to escape the pocket to his left instead of stepping forward. Watt went after Hurts, but it’s hard to fault Johnson for that play.
According to PFF, Johnson gave up just one pressure on 40 pass protection shots Sunday afternoon.
“Big shout out to Lane Johnson, 1-on-1 on an island with one of the best defensive players in the league,” Saquon Barkley said. “You can argue that he is The best defensive player in the league. There’s not a lot of guys in this league that can go 1-on-1, have no help, and do that job.”
With his two sacks, Watt now has 11 1/2 on the season. This is his sixth season with double-digit sacks and he is on pace to be named to the Pro Bowl for the seventh time.
Watt is a future Hall of Famer and the Eagles were confident leaving Johnson on an island against him for most of the game. Heck, Johnson is so good that it actually seems to hurt him when the Eagles leave a tight end to help.
“He’s probably the best player I’ve ever played against,” Johnson said of Watt. “His production is up every year. I think his effort, his arsenal of moves. I think he’s probably one of the smartest football players I’ve ever played against. I would say that. He’s incredible.”
Johnson is pretty incredible too. He is now 34 years old and still playing at an incredibly high level with a chance to be named to his sixth Pro Bowl team this season. It might be difficult for Johnson to beat first-team All-Pro running back Penei Sewell, but there is no doubt that Johnson is still one of the best tackles in the NFL, even in his 12th NFL season.
PFF ranks Johnson as the seventh-best offensive tackle in the NFL, tied with 49ers left tackle Trent Williams. By the way, Mailata is still number 1.
But Mailata still feels like he’s chasing Johnson’s greatness.
“That’s my player of the game right there,” Mailata said. “Knowing he had no help is my player of the game. He’s a damn good player. Like I said, I always tell you, this is by far the best O-lineman in the league. Nobody comes closer. That’s why I say that striving for greatness is a big deal for me. I feel very honored to have him on my team. Because pursuing him makes me a better person.”
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