DYNAMIC DUO
Watt, defense hope to apply lessons from second-round loss to the Chiefs
Watson just wants to win; Watt must spur improved defense
The Texans’ colossal collapse in the divisional playoff game at Kansas City, where they blew a 24-point lead and wasted an opportunity to host an AFC championship game for the first time in team history, continues to haunt defensive end J.J. Watt.
If the Texans fail to learn from that embarrassing experience that brought them back to Houston with a 51-31 defeat, it could doom their goal of repeating as AFC South champions and competing for Super Bowl LV.
“Not learning from that situation would be naïve of us,” Watt said Saturday in a Zoom conference call with the media. “You have to understand what happened in that situation. You have to let that situation fuel you and let that fire build within you knowing how terrible that felt.”
The Texans built a 24-0 lead early in the second quarter before getting outscored 51-7. If they had won, the Texans would have played Tennessee at NRG Stadium for a chance to reach Super
Bowl LIV.
The Texans will try to improve their 10-6 record and win a fifth division title in six years, and it starts Sept. 10 when they play the Chiefs in the first game of the NFL season.
Coaches tell players to put games behind them and focus on the next one, but Watt hasn’t, and he hopes his teammates haven’t, either.
“I don’t think we’re ignoring it and moving on from it,” he said. “We have to learn from it and grow from it and be able to handle what comes next. Learning from a situation like that does get us closer to where we want to be and our goal of winning a championship.”
If COVID-19 doesn’t derail the start of the season, the Texans will try to do what they did during the 2019 season — beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, where they won 31-24.
First, they’ll navigate training camp and the coronavirus protocols put in place at NRG Stadium and Houston Methodist Training Center. On Sunday, players will be on the practice field for a third day of conditioning drills and walk-throughs. They get tested daily for COVID-19.
“Coming to work is weird now,” Watt said. “It’s like we’re in a ‘Terminator’ movie. There’s facial recognition doors. You wear a tracking device, and you don’t touch anybody. It’s pretty wild.
“I have to give a ton of credit to our staff. They’ve done a great job of making sure everything here is as safe as it possibly can be. It’s never going to be 100 percent because of the situation we’re in, but what they’ve done with the building and the protocols has been top notch.”
The Texans had players test positive for COVID-19 during the offseason, but none since they reported to camp. They know it’s inevitable players will have positive tests and have to be quarantined.
“The most important thing is the protocol that goes into place once somebody tests positive,” Watt said. “You can’t have guys who’ve tested positive still participating with anybody else. The protocols we have in place is when a guy tests positive, he’s immediately removed.”
Coach Bill O’Brien and executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby are working with the medical and training staffs to make sure they’re prepared for every situation as it relates to the virus.
Everyone is keeping an eye on what happens in other sports and trying to avoid what’s happening in baseball with the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals. They’ve had games postponed because of COVID-19.
“There’s no question we’re watching and trying to make sure we don’t follow that same pathway,” Watt said. “There’s no secret about what makes teams successful (but) this year, there’s more that factors into it. Which team does the best job of staying healthy? Which team does the best job of staying responsible and disciplined off the field?
“You’re putting a lot of trust in guys to make sure they do the right things outside the building. Veteran leadership is important. We have a great group of veteran leaders who hold everybody accountable and understand the most prepared team and the most disciplined team is going to have success.
“You’re also trusting the testing process at a time when you’re playing a contact sport, literally rubbing up against people in games and practice.”
Watt reiterated what he said earlier this month about not wearing a face shield during games.
“As long as it’s optional, I won’t be wearing it,” he said. “Outside in Houston, the heat index was 109 (Friday). You put a fishbowl on your head and try to run around for three hours and beat a grown man. It’s not going to go too well.”
There are some things about the Texans’ defense that must go well if they’re going to get better on Anthony Weaver’s side of the ball. Weaver, who was promoted to coordinator, has to improve a defense that ranked 28th last season, including 25th against the run and 29th against the pass.
The Texans had the NFL’s worst red zone defense. Opponents scored touchdowns on 71.4 percent of their trips into the Texans’ red zone. They also were 31st on third down.
“The red zone is the biggest thing,” Watt said. “That’s a big thing we’re focused on, and, obviously, getting off the field on third down.
“Giving the ball back to our offense is huge, and one of the main ways to do that is stopping the run on first and second down and putting them in tougher situations. All those things combined will make us better. It comes down to all the phases communicating, playing well together, understanding the defense and keeping offenses off guard.”
And if the defense does its job better than last season, the players take great comfort knowing they have Deshaun Watson at quarterback.
“My job as a defensive leader is to do whatever possible to give him the ball,” Watt said. “He means an opportunity to win every game. We’re very fortunate to have a quarterback who can keep us in every game no matter what the situation. He can make anything happen and get us out of any tough situation. You never feel like you’re out of a game when you have him at quarterback.”