Steelers filed appeal to get TJ Watt the sack record

TJ Watt will have to settle for a share of the NFL’s single-season sack record despite the best efforts of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Watt ended the season with 22.5 sacks, tying the mark set by Michael Strahan in 2001. Watt and the Steelers felt that the defensive lineman should be entitled to another sack from a first quarter play in the season finale against Baltimore. Ravens center Bradley Bozeman snapped the ball apparently by mistake with quarterback Tyler Huntley in the shotgun rather than under center. The ball rolled to Huntley, who was tackled and stripped of the ball by Watt. At the time, that would have tied the single-season record, and Watt felt he had done so in the moment.

Why didn’t this count as a sack? This was ruled as an aborted play, meaning Watt received credit for the tackle for loss and the fumble, but not a sack. The Steelers appealed for a change directly to the Elias Sports Bureau, but according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, they declined to change the call.

Statistical decisions can have major implications in all sports, and teams will try to get adjustments when it can help complete an accomplishment. In this case, Watt got the short end of the stick, so he’ll have to settle for tying the record.