First Call: Jim Harbaugh expresses respect for Pittsburgh football; interesting advanced stats for T.J. Watt

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Wednesday’s “First Call” has some interesting numbers on Steelers All-Pro T.J. Watt. The franchise also made some moves to offset some injuries on special teams.

Jim Harbaugh has a lot of love for Pittsburgh as his Los Angeles Chargers are set to arrive in the city this weekend.

And a former Pirate turned in a fine outing on the mound Monday night.

Harbaugh’s high praise

As a player, Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh will forever be linked with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

When he was quarterbacking the Indianapolis Colts during the 1995-96 season, Harbaugh led his team into Three Rivers Stadium for the AFC championship game and nearly engineered an upset of the black and gold.

But his famous Hail Mary pass barely fell off the chest of receiver Aaron Bailey for an incompletion at the horn, and the Steelers went on to Super Bowl XXX against the eventual champion Dallas Cowboys.

1995 AFC Championship. One play left with a SB trip on the line. And Jim Harbaugh came ???? close to sending NFL history down a different path. pic.twitter.com/39TXfbB4zV — NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2024

Despite that outcome — and years of watching his brother, John, coach against the Steelers with the Baltimore Ravens — Harbaugh expressed nothing but respect for the Steelers organization and the city’s football legacy during a media gathering this week in advance of his team’s trip to Acrisure Stadium Sunday.

“Playing against them as a player, there’s an aura there,” Harbaugh said Monday. “Everybody I’ve ever met from Pittsburgh — there’s nobody on this planet I have more respect for than Ben Herbert — I know the kind of football people who come out of the ‘Burgh. It’s real, it’s genuine, it’s unique. Nothing but respect for it.”

Herbert is the franchise’s executive director of player performance. He is from West Allegheny and spent the past six seasons with Harbaugh at Michigan.

Bonjour, Pierre

James Pierre is back with the Steelers. The cornerback and special teams expert has been signed to the practice squad. In part, that’s because special teams ace Tyler Matakevich has a bad hamstring. The injury is forcing him to be on injured reserve for at least four weeks.

Pierre spent four years with the Steelers from 2020-23. Then he signed with the Washington Commanders in March. He stayed in D.C. through training camp but was let go in late August.

Now he is back to potentially help the thin special teams ranks with the Steelers. Recently promoted receiver Ben Skowronek is also hampered by a bum shoulder. He has been part of two huge tackles on punt coverage so far this year, one in Atlanta and another in Denver. Matakevich had a big one as well on Sunday against the Broncos.

Those transactions were just part of a slew of moves from the Steelers on Tuesday, including the acquisition of defensive back D’Shawn Jamison.

We have placed LB Tyler Matakevich on the Reserve/Injured List, signed CB James Pierre and DB D’Shawn Jamison to the practice squad, and terminated CB Zyon Gilbert and WR Shaquan Davis from the practice squad. @BordasLaw https://t.co/SMSA6xaScc — Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 17, 2024

Jamison is a cornerback who measures 5-foot-9, 186 pounds. He played college football with the Texas Longhorns.

Jamison signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. He stayed in San Francisco until being waived on cut-down day. Then he was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers and was with them until he was waived at the end of the preseason this summer.

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What the stats say about T.J.

When it comes to NFL advanced analytics, we always play the same game.

We quote them biblically when they make our favorite players look good. We dismiss them as voodoo witchcraft when they make our favorite players look bad.

That’s especially the case with T.J. Watt. A lot of the “fancy stat” numbers supported Myles Garrett’s case for NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, whereas the eye test and more traditional numbers (such as sacks, tackles, tackles for loss, passes defended, interceptions and fumble recoveries) favored Watt.

Garrett ultimately claimed the prize much to Watt’s chagrin.

This year, the stat nerd numbers are a bit split on Watt. Via ESPN.com, despite being as dominant as Watt has looked on film, he is only 15th among edge rushers in pressure-win-rate at 23%. Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson leads the way at 39%.

However, in run support, Watt is grading out at the top of his position. ESPN.com says he has the highest win rate of any edge player in the NFL against the run through the first two weeks at 42%.

Seattle’s Boye Mafe and New England’s Anfernee Jennings are fractions of a percentage point behind Watt for second and third.

Remember me?

Former Pirates draft choice Shane Baz spun a gem for the Tampa Bay Rays (74-77) on Monday night.

The 12th overall pick in 2017 went seven innings, allowing just two earned runs against the Boston Red Sox (75-76). He racked up six strikeouts and walked only one en route to an 8-3 win.

Shane Baz tonight: 7IP 2H 2ER 6K (3.21 ERA) Today, #Rays fans previewed a pivotal factor of their young rotation for years to come. We love a healthy Shane Baz! #Raysup #MLB pic.twitter.com/S1maat4FNz — Coach SA (@castlehill814) September 18, 2024

Baz is now 3-3 with a 3.21 ERA on the season for Tampa. After enduring Tommy John surgery in 2022, Baz missed all of 2023. He made his comeback with Triple-A Durham in May and got his first Major League start of the year on July 5. Baz has now pitched in 21 MLB games with a 6-5 record and an ERA of 3.58.

The former TCU commit and Team USA representative was part of the Pirates’ ill-fated, but well-intended Chris Archer trade in 2018. That deal also included Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow going to Tampa while Archer came back to Pittsburgh with painfully bad results.

Archer was 6-12 in Pittsburgh with a 4.92 ERA.

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