No, Von Miller didn’t change his number to 57. That’s Dekoda Watson, the Denver Broncos’ latest pass-rushing sensation.
On Saturday, Watson continued a stellar preseason by recording 2.5 sacks and wrecking havoc on the Los Angeles Rams’ offense, likely earning himself a roster spot in the process.
But if you’re wondering where Watson, a six-year vet with just three career sacks, has been this whole time, the truth is that he’s been largely irrelevant, a borderline NFL player. The better question is: Why is he here now?
Well, the Broncos decided to move the athletic linebacker from the inside to the outside, and apparently it worked. He’s absorbed as much as he can from the All Pros in front of him, and now he’s starting to look an awful lot like them. Not only is he using a speed rush that looks eerily similar to Von Miller’s, but he’s breaking out the sack dances, too.
And where did Watson get inspiration for his sack dance? Well, last year Miller pulled from Key & Peele, so, naturally, Watson’s moves were an homage to the one-and-only Dave Chappelle.
“It’s blue streak. Anybody who knows about Dave Chappelle, that’s probably one of the favorites in the locker room,” Watson said following the game. “The whole sideline just died laughing, because they weren’t expecting it. So when I did it, they died.”
It’s not all fun and games, though. When you become known as the “sack dance” guy, there’s no going back. You have to uphold that reputation.
Through the first two games, Watson shied away from the spotlight, but after some pressuring from the team, he’s all in.
“They got on me for being tired and not doing a dance,” Watson said. “So I had to do something better, so it’s going to get better each time. I’m taking notes.”
And now, it’s time for him to take on the king.
“Oh yeah, we’ve been going at it,” Watson said of his dance rivalry with Von Miller.
If Watson continues to play like he’s played this preseason, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to impress us with his flashy moves.
