The rebirth of J.J. Watt; Cam Akers’ comeback: NFC West Stock Watch

By Eric Williams
Published

Yes, at 33 years old, Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman J.J. Watt can still play.

The Wisconsin product has provided weekly evidence of that all season, but especially in Week 15. Watt put his pass-rush skills on display in his team's road loss to the Denver Broncos last week.

The total damage for Watt? Three sacks, three quarterback hits, five tackles — including three tackles for loss — one forced fumble and one pass deflection while playing 58 of a possible 69 defensive snaps.

All three sacks came in the first half for Watt. 

"I'm trying to go out and play good football," Watt said. "I'm trying to help us win. I'm trying to do what I can. It was good. But then [the Broncos] went in at the half, and they obviously didn't want that to happen again. They changed it all up. And give them credit, they did a good job in the second half." 

It was Watt's 28th game with multiple sacks — five more than any other player since he entered the league in 2011. He also notched his seventh career game with three sacks, tied for the most in the league since 2012. 

Watt is on pace for his sixth season with at least 10 sacks. He leads all active players with 189 tackles for loss and is fourth with 111.5 sacks. Watt, Aaron Donald and Lawrence Taylor are the only players to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times.

Watt reportedly earned $900,000 in incentives for eclipsing the seven, eight and nine-sack marks. He leads the Cardinals with 9.5 sacks.

The key for Watt this season is he has managed to stay healthy. Watt missed 10 games last season with a dislocated shoulder that required surgery. He missed the season opener this year with a calf strain and also dealt with his heart going into atrial fibrillation. Watt managed to work his way back onto the field and has been mostly productive in his 12th NFL season.

With the Cardinals at 4-10 and mathematically eliminated from the postseason, Watt understands he's playing for 2023.

"You got to be a professional and do what you need to do, because the reality is you're playing for a job for next year," he said. "You're playing for the future. It's a s---ty place to be with three games left, but that's what it is." 

Watt will be an unrestricted free agent and will have a decision to make this offseason. He could re-sign with the rebuilding Cardinals or chase a Super Bowl ring with a team built for a deep postseason run. He also could retire, but that doesn't sound like it's in the cards.

Watt's rebirth heads this week's NFC West Stock Watch. 

Rising

Cardinals DE J.J. Watt: After one of his three sacks against the Broncos, Watt paid homage to his younger brother, Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt, by mimicking his sack dance. 

San Francisco 49ers RB Jordan Mason: The undrafted rookie out of Georgia Tech has earned a role as a finisher for San Francisco with Elijah Mitchell out with a knee injury.

Mason totaled 64 yards, including a 55-yard jaunt to ice the game, in a win over the Seattle Seahawks, clinching the NFC West title for San Francisco. 

"I call him Mariano Rivera — he's the closer," joked fellow 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey. "That guy runs so hard. For him to come in and finish the game like that was awesome." 

Los Angeles Rams RB Cam Akers: In Sean McVay's doghouse earlier this year and asked to stay away from the team facility, Akers is starting to show glimpses of the relentless running style he established his rookie season.

Akers finished with 65 rushing yards and 35 receiving yards in a loss to the Green Bay Packers on Monday. Per Next Gen Stats, Akers has 210 yards after contact since Week 11, No. 17 in the NFL. 

Falling

Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs: The veteran safety missed a very catchable interception with two minutes left before halftime and his team trailing 7-3 at midfield against the 49ers that could have been returned for a big gain or potentially even a score. 

Seattle ended up getting the ball back on a punt, but running back Travis Homer fumbled on a big hit by Niners linebacker Dre Greenlaw and cornerback Charvarius Ward returned the ball 40 yards to Seattle's 6-yard line. McCaffrey scored two plays later.

"I do feel that was a big moment, me not catching that ball," Diggs said afterward. "I'll be better. That's all I can do. It's on me. I dropped it." 

Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen: The rookie defensive back has flashed playmaking ability all season, but he has also made his share of rookie mistakes.

Against San Francisco last week, Woolen appears to be the Seahawk who voided his coverage on George Kittle's 54-yard touchdown catch and run. The Seahawks looked to be in Cover 3, and in the video, Woolen appears to follow a slant route inside instead of covering his third of the field along the sideline, where Kittle shakes loose for the big gain.

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Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.