Learning on the run
Rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson flashes potential in win over Bengals, but his vast skills remain in need of refinement
One rookieof the didn’t most blink feared while defensive stubbornly linemen waitingin the for NFL someonewas barrelingto break towardfree downfield.Texans quarterback• Watson absorbedDeshaun Watson, a crushing and blow the from Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowl defensive tackle Geno Atkins, a punishing shot to the chest that launched him airborne before thudding to the ground. • It was reminiscent of when Watson took a huge hit from Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster in the national title game that spun him around like a helicopter. Watson shook it off to lead his team to a last-second victory with a gamewinning touchdown pass. • Watson shook off this latest shot from Atkins, and he learned something from the experience.
Moments later, Watson’s instincts, improvisational skills and athleticism took over the game.
His 49-yard touchdown run on an electrifying scramble displayed the vast potential the Texans identified in him when they drafted the former Clemson star and consensus All-American in the first round after trading up to the Cleveland Browns’ spot to draft him 12th overall.
Now, it’s up to Texans coach and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to mold Watson and his multi-dimensional game into the kind of polished quarterback the team needs to repeat as AFC South champions for the third consecutive year.
“Deshaun’s got a really good chance to be a special quarterback,” an AFC personnel director told The Chronicle on condition of anonymity. “I like him a lot. He needs to learn the offense. He’s going to make rookie mistakes. He’s got a lot of talent, though. He’s always been a winner, and he believes in himself.
“You just can’t fake being that kind of leader and few guys who play the position can move like him. He reminds me a lot of a young Michael Vick as far as his ability to take off and run away from fast people. There’s a ton of upside, but it’s going to take time to get him ready. Bill O’Brien has had a ton of quarterbacks since he got to Houston, but he’s never coached anyone like Deshaun. It will be fascinating to see how this goes.”
The drawbacks on Watson are his lack of experience and knowledge and a tendency to be more inaccurate on deeper throws. What Watson does exceptionally well is adjust on the fly, make impactful plays with his feet and arm working in concert and have unflappable poise in clutch moments.
“Does Deshaun have some fundamental things he needs to improve on? Absolutely,” an NFC executive said. “He’s a coachable, respectful young man who has strong character and is smart. I think he did fine considering the situation and that he didn’t get the first-team reps during camp and the offseason. Deshaun has unteachable talent. There’s things he can do on a football field that other people simply can’t do. I would bet on this kid being good sooner than people think he will be.” Road ahead not any easier
Now that the Texans have committed to Watson being their starter after O’Brien benched veteran Tom Savage at halftime of the season opener, they have a lot of work to do and time to make up after devoting the offseason to establishing Savage as their guy.
That job starts in earnest Monday when the Texans begin practices in advance of a Sunday road game against the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.
“Deshaun’s got a long way to go, he really does” said retired former Patriots middle linebacker Ted Johnson, a radio analyst for 610 AM in Houston. “There’s going to be a lot of plays where he has a hard time pulling the trigger and being an efficient type of signal caller. There are also moments where he gets lathered up and on a roll in peak moments in games. He did that in college against Alabama and Florida State.
“There are a lot of times where he doesn’t know where to go with the ball and he doesn’t keep his eyes locked downfield and doesn’t go through his progressions. Right now, they’ve got no choice but to go through growing pains with him. Everyone understands that. They need to be patient and watch him develop. He’ll be learning on the go.”
Watson completed 15 of 24 passes for 125 yards against the Bengals with no touchdowns or interceptions for a 75.9 passer rating. He was sacked three times, all in the first half. Watson rushed for 67 yards on five carries. He had two potential interceptions dropped by the Bengals, preventing them from scoring a pair of touchdowns.
Although Watson has had some rough moments, he’s aware of his shortcomings and determined to work on his weaknesses.
“Everything,” Watson said when asked what he needs to improve on. “I just want to be a complete professional quarterback, and that’s going to take time. My reads, operation with the offense, timing with the receivers, routes, sitting in the pocket, trusting my line. Everything is always a work in progress.”
In six quarters of NFL football, Watson has completed 27 of 47 passes for 227 yards (a 57.4 percent clip), one touchdown and one interception for a 68.3 passer rating. He also has rushed for 83 yards on seven carries. No shortage of confidence
Through it all, Watson’s confidence has carried him. It’s a trait that has served him well as an instant winner at the varsity level as a freshman in Gainesville, Ga., and as a freshman starter for Clemson.
“That’s his super power,” Johnson said. “Everybody is a little different. I like to tell the story about Tom Brady before the 2001 Super Bowl. He had a towel over his face before the game, and he’s taking a nap. He was calm. Does anything bother him?
“Deshaun is kind of the same way. His secret weapon is his confidence and self-assurance. That will pay dividends and be a huge value for this team. He has such strong intangibles. Ask Dabo Swinney how he changed the culture at Clemson. He can transform your organization like he did at Clemson.”
Watson was sacked three times by Cincinnati’s defense, but not once during the second half.
Watson is aware he’s not a finished product.
When the Texans returned to Houston following their 13-9 win over the Bengals, Watson impressed coach Bill O’Brien again with his diligent study habits.
Watson got right into watching video of his NFL starting debut on his iPad on the flight home from Cincinnati.
It’s that kind of work ethic that has O’Brien convinced that the former Heisman Trophy finalist will continue to make strides.
“I think he’ll get better and better,” O’Brien said. “You know he’s got his iPad right away out on the plane, and he’s watching the tape. I mean, this kid’s going to get better and better and better the more he plays. He’ll learn.
‘He’s a quick study. He’s a quick learner. He’s going to make his share of mistakes, he’s going to see things that he’s never seen before, seeing them for the first time, and he’ll learn from it. I thought he really learned during the game, and that was pretty good to see.”
Watson’s touchdown run was the longest by a quarterback in Texans franchise history. It’s the longest run by a quarterback in NFL history in their starting debut. The record was previously held by Tim Tebow.
Nothing seems to faze Watson, who grew up fast in Georgia as his mother battled tongue cancer and the family lived in public housing.
Watson led the Texans on a game-sealing, 13-play, 66-yard drive capped by kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 42-yard field goal in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. During that drive, Watson had an 11-yard run on the play before the kick.
“It’s like I’ve said from the start with him, he’s got good poise,” O’Brien said. “He’s a smart guy. He rarely makes the same mistake twice, he kind of learns right away. He did a real nice job on the last drive, the last long drive that we had.
“He did a very nice job on that drive when we had to put together some plays there. He did that by getting us into the right play on almost every single play. So, I thought that was a really good sign.” Running a concern
Where the Texans and Watson have to be cautious is how much he runs and protecting himself. Scrambling around in the NFL is dangerous. Just ask former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III. The former Heisman Trophy winner from Baylor had his career derailed when he relied too much on his speed and injured his knee on a tackle by former Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata.
The Texans have to hope Watson continues to slide to avoid hits and run out of bounds.
“RG3 could be totally reckless,” Johnson said. “I don’t see that with Deshaun. This kid will create something. I know he almost threw two interceptions, but I trust him in the biggest pressure-packed moments.”
Although the Bengals have some formidable pass rushers and a smart defensive coordinator in Paul Guenther, Watson was able to defeat them on four days notice after replacing Savage. He did so with all three of his top tight ends out with concussions, a patchwork offensive line that allowed 10 sacks in the season opener and are still playing without three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown because of a contract dispute. Plus, his fastest wide receiver, Will Fuller, remains out with a broken collarbone. Watson is throwing almost exclusively to Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
The task for Watson could get even more difficult next week at Gillette Stadium. Watson struggled in the preseason against a New England defense led by defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and coach Bill Belichick.
“There’s going to be a lot more aggressive play-calling from them than there was from the Bengals,” Johnson said. “I was shocked they didn’t blitz him more. They predominantly went with a four-man rush. The Patriots won’t do that. They will come with exotic blitzes from all over the field. There will be a lot of pre-snap and post-snap disguising.
“He’s moving up in weight class this week. At least, they’ve got 10 days. They should do a lot of running and play-action, some of those Gary Kubiak-type plays. There’s no going back to Tom Savage. They have to gear their entire offense around the kid.” aaron.wilson@chron.com twitter.com/aaronwilson_nfl