Peter Schrager's Cheat Sheet: Steelers' T.J. Watt has a case for NFL MVP

By Peter Schrager
FOX Sports NFL Analyst

Welcome to the Week 14 edition of the Schrager Cheat Sheet.

Each week, I take a look at several things you need to know heading into the NFL weekend. This week, we look at why Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt is the league's "Most Dominant Player," assess the multifaceted greatness of Bill Belichick and examine why coaches absolutely love Rams receiver Cooper Kupp.

1. Belichick: Mr. NFL Honors?

This might be met with a collective groan from the fan bases of 31 teams, but if I'm submitting my vote for NFL Coach of the Year in 2021, I think it's going to Bill Belichick. And if I'm submitting my vote for NFL Executive of the Year in 2021, I think that’s going to Belichick as well. How novel, right?

A year after the collective football world took a breath from universal Belichick idolatry, it appears as though the master hasn't lost a step. If the playoffs were this weekend, the Patriots would have the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the postseason would go through Foxborough, and the Patriots would enjoy a bye week while six other teams battle it out on wild-card weekend.

Monday night's 14-10 win over the Bills in Buffalo felt like a Belichick masterpiece. Not only was it so uniquely coached, but it also could have psychological ramifications on the opponent. Mac Jones went just 2-for-3 through the air, and the Patriots ran the ball 46 times. 

The Bills, who were gashed by the Colts for 264 yards on the ground (185 by Jonathan Taylor) just a couple of weeks ago, now must deal with the effects of those two losses — both at home — over the course of three weeks. The Patriots are the first team to win a game with three or fewer pass attempts since the Bills did so in a 16-12 win over the New York Jets in 1974. And this game never really felt like it was in doubt.

The Patriots are now 6-0 on the road and have an NFL-best seven-game winning streak. The players deserve a ton of credit for this, but gosh, they sure are coached well. Few pundits had the Patriots as a playoff team heading into the season, let alone in the AFC driver's seat after 13 weeks. Throw in the fact that they're doing all this with a rookie quarterback and a cast of several new faces — after starting the season 2-4 — and it’s truly remarkable. With all due respect to Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona, Matt LaFleur in Green Bay and Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, I think Belichick is the best coach this season.

And then there's the executive piece to it. The Patriots went way outside of character in free agency, breaking the bank for free agents like no team has ever done. In March, the Patriots guaranteed an unprecedented $163 million to unrestricted free agents, an amount even owner Robert Kraft admitted was risky business. 

Seemingly every one of those free agents has played a role in this resurgent team. Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith have been key cogs in the offense, with Smith coming on of late. Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne have been solid additions at wideout, with Bourne quickly emerging as a locker room favorite and team leader. And if T.J. Watt wasn't on this earth, you could argue that Matt Judon is the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. 

And then there are the rookies. Whether it be Jones, second-round pick Christian Barmore (whom they traded up to acquire), or Rhamondre Stevenson, New England rebuilt its roster seemingly overnight. 

A year after being written off as dead and buried, the Patriots are the best team in the AFC. That's not by accident. It's a testament to coaching, roster management and excellent players. The man most responsible for the first two is Bill Belichick. Crown the man. Again. 

2. T.J. Watt: MDP

As a football viewing audience, we can be reluctant to include defensive players in the MVP conversation. But Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt deserves to be in there. 

If you want to say it's a quarterback's award? Fine. Let’s call him MDP — Most Dominant Player. 

On Sunday, all Watt did was single-handedly frustrate Lamar Jackson all over the field. And when it mattered most, Watt did everything he could to ensure a win and keep the Steelers in the playoff picture. He set a personal record with 3.5 sacks in the 20-19 win and was the guy pressuring Jackson into an errant throw on the decisive two-point conversion attempt. 

In a year in which there seems to be a new MVP candidate each week, maybe it should be the guy throwing the Steelers on his back week in and week out. Ben Roethlisberger agrees: 

"I don’t know who else is Defensive Player of the Year other than that guy," Roethlisberger said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com. "I’m sure there are other candidates, I just don’t know. But he should absolutely get MVP votes as well because that's what kind of player he is."

I think Tom Brady gets my vote if we were casting ballots today, but I'd be tempted to place Watt atop my ballot. The Steelers win games when he's out there wreaking havoc. They haven't won a game without him. Maybe he's not the traditional "MVP," but he's my "MDP" for sure. 

3. The other Dolphins rookies

Last week in this space, I waxed poetically on the impact of Dolphins rookie wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. 

One of the league's best receivers — not just among rookies — Waddle is currently tied for second in the NFL in receptions (86) and is a true No. 1 on a playoff contender. 

But the Dolphins didn't just hit a home run on Waddle in the NFL Draft. Miami's second pick (18th overall) is having a monster second half of the season as well. Jaelan Phillips, the rangy defensive end wearing No. 15, has quickly emerged as one of the best young pass rushers in Miami Dolphins history. 

Phillips posted two sacks in Miami's 20-9 win over the Giants. That gives him 8.5 on the season, surpassing the franchise rookie record of 8.0, previously held by Bill Stanfill and Lorenzo Bromell. And Phillips is getting better every week — he has six sacks in the past three games. According to Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first NFL rookie since Julius Peppers in 2002 to record at least six sacks in a three-game span. 

Another Dolphins rookie raising eyebrows on defense is Jevon Holland, a second-round pick out of Oregon who has been a lightning rod in an already decorated defensive backfield. In the nationally televised win over the Ravens in Week 11, Holland blitzed Lamar Jackson 21 times. On the year, he has two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and 51 tackles. He has also hit the quarterback six different times and even returns punts.

The Dolphins have a fun thing going this season. One year after producing a draft class that drew the ire of the fan base, it looks like they've got three gems in the 2021 crop. 

4. Cooper Kupp is awesome

Cooper Kupp leads the league in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. On Sunday, he had another excellent outing, hauling in eight catches for 129 yards and a TD. 

After the game, he was wisely asked by NFL Network's Bridget Condon about the TD, and he said the following: 

This cracked me up, and a lot of people around the league loved it. Kupp is speaking gibberish to some, but it's football erotica to those who love the game. 

Dan Orlovsky — because Dan is awesome in these spots — took to video to explain what Kupp was saying. I was with Kurt Warner, an X's and O's junkie, on Tuesday, and he was downright giddy over the term FIRE ZONE REPLACEMENT.

The truth is, one of the reasons Kupp is so good and so beloved by his coaches is that he thinks like a coach. He has incredible instincts, preparation and vocabulary. I'd watch a weekly show about wide receivers with Kupp talking about fire zone replacements and whatever else he wanted to discuss. I know I wouldn't be the only one. 

5. The guy I'm watching

I think Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale deserves consideration for a head coaching job. 

Martindale interviewed for the Giants' head gig two years ago and didn't get it, then somehow couldn’t even get an interview a year ago. Baltimore's defense is No. 1 on third downs, No. 1 in the red zone and No. 1 overall against the run. And that's while dealing with a host of injuries.

Stats and numbers can do a lot for the argument, but here are three things I love about Wink that I think would make him a fabulous head man. 

1. Culture. 

Baltimore has something special going on. When you walk into that building, you know the team's identity. Those players love being Ravens, and those defensive players love playing for their head coach. That's a testament to what John Harbaugh has built over the years, but it’s also a testament to what practices and meetings are like — competitive, fast-paced, with an edge. That's what you get when you face a Ravens defense no matter which players are suiting up. Martindale has taken that torch from Baltimore teams of yesteryear and carried it forward. 

2. Leadership.

Martindale has been around the league a long time and is real with his players and fellow coaches. Candidly, he's one of my favorite coaches to interview because he tells it like it is. Players respond to that. I don't think there are many other coaches who will have an easier time convincing his team what he's all about. 

3. Defense. Defense. Defense.

After years of offensive coaching hires, I think the pendulum is swinging back the other way. Brandon Staley, Mike Tomlin, Bill Belichick, Vic Fangio, Sean McDermott and Brian Flores are no slouches. Those guys are defensive-minded coaches who are more than capable head men. I think Martindale, even at age 58, will be a quick study as a head coach, and a smart team will wisely consider him during this year’s cycle.

Peter Schrager is an NFL writer for FOX Sports and a host of "Good Morning Football" on NFL Network.