Badgers Brotherhood: T.J. Watt on similar pace to J.J.'s award-winning NFL season

Opposing quarterbacks have come to hate the last name “Watt.”

Brothers T.J. and J.J. are a big reason for that, terrorizing NFL signal-callers after successful runs with the Badgers in Madison.

J.J. is the elder of the Watt brothers, breaking into the NFL in 2011. Since that time, J.J. has gone on to reach the 100 sack milestone as a member of the Houston Texans. Along the way, Watt captured the 2015 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award after posting 17.5 sacks with 29 tackles for loss and 50 QB hits.

Why are those numbers from 2015 significant? Because the younger Watt Brother – T.J. – is on a similar pace in 2020.

According to NFL Research, T.J. recorded two sacks, two tackles for loss, and two QB hits in a Steelers win Sunday. That gives him nine sacks, 26 QB hits, and 14 tackles for loss in nine games to start 2020.

The Watt Brothers are the only players in the past 15 years to reach those marks in nine games:

T.J. Watt has 2 sacks, 2 QB hits & 2 tackles for loss vs the Bengals

T.J. Watt (2020) & J.J. Watt (2015) are the only players over the past 15 seasons to record 9+ sacks, 25 + QBH & 10+ TFL in their teams 1st 9 games of a season

J.J. Watt won defensive player of the year in '15

— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) November 15, 2020

Will T.J. follow in his brother’s foot steps with a Defensive Player of the Year Award? He’s definitely off to a flying start.