Quarterback to the future
Is Watson Houston’s savior?
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — The Patriots got their first upclose-and-personal look at Houston Texans rookie Deshaun Watson yesterday. He was the No. 2 quarterback, behind starter Tom Savage.
And yet, if all of his recent press clippings are to be believed, his time as backup isn’t going to last very long. More to the point, the way Watson is being hyped by members of the Houston media, he’s going to be the guy to bring the Texans to the promised land before long.
In other words, he’s the one. He’s going to be the quarterback to finally take down the Patriots. Where so many others have failed, Watson will be the ultimate Tom Brady killer.
At least, that’s the storyline brewing in Texas. That’s the news that has people buzzing in the Lone Star State. Sorry, Jerry Jones. Watson led Clemson in upsetting Alabama in the national championship game earlier this year, throwing a touchdown pass with one second left on the clock to lift his team over the Crimson Tide, 35-31. So he’s got that special something. Now the Texans are tapping into it, that’s why they moved up the board 13 spots to get him on draft day.
Longtime Houston Chronicle beat writer John McClain, who covered Warren Moon’s rookie camp with the Houston Oilers in 1984, has drawn favorable comparisons between Watson and the Hall of Famer.
Even Texans coach Bill O’Brien recently said Watson was “ahead of any rookie quarterback I’ve ever been around” and echoed those remarks following the workout yesterday, applying further praise on the rookie.
Granted, O’Brien’s list isn’t a who’s who of great quarterbacks (Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, Kevin O’Connell, Matt Gutierrez, etc.) but it’s still a decent compliment.
Already, Watson’s quickly moved up from third-string quarterback to secondstring, to breathing down Savage’s neck for the top job. Most figure he’ll have it not long after the season starts.
Against the Patriots in practice, he looked like a rookie at times, but that’s not to say you couldn’t see the potential and why everyone is so gaga over the kid right now.
He was incredibly poised and calm, particularly when plays broke down. He has a terrific arm, particularly on the run. His best throw came during 11-on-11 drills when avoiding a sack, moving laterally left to dodge Alan Branch, then hitting receiver Wendall Williams down the right side of the field.
But let’s remember. This group also thought Brock Osweiler was going to deliver in a big way for the Texans, too. He turned out to be a $72 million bust, after the team signed him as a free agent from Denver.
The Texans have had a good defense in recent years to counter Brady. But their history of starting quarterbacks is dotted by guys who haven’t given them a legitimate chance, from Osweiler, to Hoyer, to Matt Schaub, to David Carr, who was their first overall pick in 2002.
Watson is certainly getting an advantage most highly touted rookie quarterbacks don’t get. He’s walking into a situation where he has one of the toprated defenses in the league backing him, and one of the best quarterback coaches in O’Brien to mentor him.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. He’s a winner. He proved that at the college level. But he still has a long way to go before taking out Brady and the Patriots, or even making it in the league as a starting quarterback.
“He’s trying to get better every day. He’s the same guy every day, very positive,” said O’Brien. “If he makes a mistake, he learns from it. He tries not to make the same mistake twice.”
As for when the time will be right to have him take over and lead the Texans, that’s going to be an interesting call for O’Brien.
Savage has been fine during the preseason, but fine means nothing special. When the postseason rolls around, you typically need to be special to beat Brady and the Patriots.
So O’Brien certainly will be taking notes during the joint practices, and Saturday’s game to see how well Watson is progressing.
“I think we have a really good situation here,” said O’Brien. “We have Tom (Savage). He’s had a good camp. He’s thrown the ball well. He’s done some good things . . . Deshaun’s had a good camp, too, so it’s been very productive for both guys.”
Perspective is important. Watson has done well to be sure. Let’s just not get carried away.