PITTSBURGH -- From watching "A Christmas Story" on repeat to feasting on steak and sweet potatoes, the Watt brothers planned to relish their Christmas family traditions while together for a few hours in Houston this weekend.
But there's a Houston Texans-Pittsburgh Steelers matchup to be played at 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday, which will force T.J. Watt to draw a few holiday lines.
"We're competition now," the Steelers rookie linebacker said with a smile. "People think we get in the lab together and we draw up all these schemes and are always exchanging film. That’s not the case. We both have lives that are very busy. ... We’re brothers at the end of the day. We’re just like anybody else.”
Well, not many brothers share first-round pedigree, but the Watts planned to convene on Christmas Eve to find normalcy. While middle brother Derek played fullback for the Chargers on Sunday, T.J. and his parents got together in Houston at J.J.'s home.
T.J. and J.J. are in different places in their NFL arcs. J.J. will end a second consecutive season on injured reserve, with his 4-10 Texans playing solely for pride. T.J. is a full-time starter on a Steelers team vying for an AFC playoff bye.
Win or lose, the gifts never stop flowing.
"He’s going to come over to my house and we’ll do a little Christmas, hopefully open up some gifts and have a nice little meal together. It’s cool," J.J. said. "We haven’t gotten to have a family Christmas for a long time."
The Watts savor the chance to spend Christmas with their parents, who are making a December cross-country trek to Los Angeles, Houston and Pittsburgh for time with the three children.
T.J. remembers his father, John, missing most Christmases while working a firefighter shift. Their father is retired now, free to watch his sons play and -- as T.J. hopes -- spice up Christmas with his cooking, one of his specialties. T.J. expects a combination of steak, sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes, "a nice, homegrown Wisconsin meal."
Otherwise, the plan was to hang out and do absolutely nothing until time for T.J. to retreat to the team hotel.
"They are the ones who set the stage for us, they really kind of put everything else aside, they worked their butts off to save up as much money to do all the sports and athletics we wanted to do," T.J. said. "They were at every practice and every game. They are the reason why we’re here, and it's great to celebrate the holidays with them."
Their mother, Connie, is known to stay neutral when her sons play against each other, wearing one of her customized jerseys showcasing the colors of both teams. But Monday's matchup won't stop J.J. from praising his brother's play. T.J. is one of three NFL players this season with at least 40 tackles, 5 sacks, 5 passes defended, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble, according to the Steelers' media relations department.
Big brother occasionally offers T.J. a few pointers about NFL life, but he gives the rookie all the credit for T.J.'s early success. J.J.'s appreciation has grown now that he's had more time to watch games while rehabbing from a tibial fracture.
"(T.J.) deserves all the credit," J.J. said. "He's the one who put in the work, he’s the one who put in all the time, he’s the one who’s eager to ask all the questions and willing and wanting to learn. And he's the one with the talent and athletic ability."
J.J. does take credit for his brother's game-winning sack on Joe Flacco in Week 14. He predicted the dramatic moment while watching from home.
T.J. has two predictions of his own: J.J. will be "back better than ever" next season, and being on the same field with him will be strange.
"I’ve never shared one with him," T.J. said. "It's going to be great."