Watt holds huge respect for Pats
FOXBORO — J.J. Watt, who will be back with the Texans fearsome defensive front to wreak havoc with Tom Brady and the Patriots offense, made it sound like his team would be in for the bigger challenge on Sunday.
The three-time NFL defensive player of the year, returning after missing most of last season with a broken leg, might have a point, given Brady is 6-1 against Houston in the regular season and 2-0 in the postseason.
“Obviously you’re facing the best quarterback of alltime, and possibly the best coach of all-time. I mean, they’re incredible,” Watt said yesterday, referring to Brady and Bill Belichick. “Everything they’ve accomplished in their career speaks for itself. I mean, they’ve obviously done some phenomenal things. They deserve all the praise and the accolades they get because of what they’ve accomplished. So you’re facing that, you’re facing guys with a ton of experience, with a ton of knowledge, a lot of skill, a lot of talent, who work very hard.
“It’s always a good challenge. For us to open up the season against a team like that, and a player like Tom, it’s a great challenge right out of the gate.”
The Texans front did get to Brady last year, sacking him five times, hitting him eight other times, and forcing three fumbles on strip sacks. Brady still beat them, throwing five touchdowns in the 36-33 Week 3 win.
Watt was asked if perhaps they’ve picked defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel’s brain, a former Patriots defensive coordinator who won three rings with Belichick, for insights over the years.
“Obviously, you try to gather as much information as you can with all the resources you have,” he said. “If anybody could figure out what they’re doing up there, we sure would have tried to tap into that by now. I think they’ve been extremely successful over a very long period of time. It proves they know what they’re doing. They make adjustments. They do things very well.
“I don’t think there’s any key or secret to beating them. I think you have to play very sound football. You have to play disciplined. Everybody has to do their job. You have to play at your best.”
Even though they’ve gotten to Brady, he’s still been very good at escaping their clutches and making plays. Last year, he pulled that win out, throwing for 378 yards.
“He’s very comfortable back there. He knows what he’s doing. His O-linemen know where he’s going to be. He knows how to shuffle around and slide around to get into the open spot,” said Watt. “I think he has a great relationship with his O-line where they know where he wants to set up, and he knows where he wants to set up. And if he needs to make an adjustment, he can.
“Definitely one of his strengths is his ability to move around and find the open window, find the open space and get the ball out quick as well.”