Watt beat out Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald and a pair of Panthers in Luke Kuechly and Josh Norman for the award, the third of his career and blasted anyone who ever doubted him while accepting it.
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The victory for Newton, the first Panther to win the award, was announced Saturday night during NFL Honors.
Maintaining his current clip won’t be easy; however, last season Watt became the first player in National Football League history with 20 or more sacks in two different campaigns, so no records seem safe.
Watt had 76 tackles, 17.5 sacks, eight passes defended, and three forced fumbles as he helped lead the Texans to the AFC South title. Watt recorded at least one sack in 10 of 16 regular season games, including a five-game stretch in late October and November during which he amassed a whopping 9.5 sacks. Given how much time is left in Watt’s career and how dominant he has been to this point, that tie for the most in league history may not last for long.
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Recently there’s been talk of Watt-fatigue that may harm his chances to win a third DPOY award. Additionally, Watt’s 10 quarterback hits in Week 8 vs. Tennessee set a new single-game career-high. The four-time Pro Bowler and four-time Associated Press first-team All-NFL selection was once again the biggest difference-maker on Houston’s defense, leading the Texans to the postseason after a 1-4 start.
