Pressure is now on the rest of team to make up for huge void on defense
J.J. Watt will not be winning a recordbreaking fourth NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. At least not this season. The last thing the Texans needed was to lose Watt to what could be a seasonending back injury, but injuries are part of football, and teams deal with them.
Just ask the Minnesota Vikings.
The Texans won’t get any sympathy for losing the best defensive player in the league. Watt’s teammates on defense have to step up and do whatever it takes to try to offset his loss as much as possible.
Watt will see a specialist about this most recent injury to a disk in his back. While Watt and the doctors are trying to determine what
course to take — another surgery or rehabilitation — the Texans have to move on fast.
It will be up to coach Bill O’Brien to keep the players focused on Sunday’s game at NRG Stadium against Tennessee. It’ll be up to defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel to devise a game plan without Watt.
Two people close to Watt said he’s devastated that he reinjured his back but is determined to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to return to the field.
Despite the pall that was cast over the organization Tuesday, the Texans haven’t given up on Watt playing later in the season. That might be a pipe dream because this is his second disk injury in his back.
Watt will be placed on injured reserve. The Texans aren’t sure if he’ll require a third major surgery in eight months.
People familiar with the situation said the Texans aren’t sure when Watt reinjured his back, perhaps in practice, maybe in the loss at New England. No matter how he was injured, Watt didn’t feel right and went to the doctors for tests.
It’s another cruel blow to what has been the toughest and most disappointing period of Watt’s football career.
After last season, Watt underwent surgery in Philadelphia to have five muscles reattached after they were torn or partially torn from his abdominal wall. In July, he had surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back.
After missing camp and preseason while undergoing rehabilitation, Watt was cleared to return in time for the Texans’ season-opening victory over Chicago. He was rusty against the Bears but improved in the victory over Kansas City with 1½ sacks and a fumble recovery.
Now, first-year defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, who played for the Texans, will have to get the team’s newest addition, Antonio Smith, ready to go in a hurry.
Interestingly, the Texans signed Smith as an unrestricted free agent to replace Weaver in their defensive line.
Smith played five seasons (200913) with the Texans before playing one season with Oakland. In 2015, Smith was reunited with Gary Kubiak and Wade Phillips in Denver, where he earned a Super Bowl ring.
Smith will join the rotation in the defensive line.
Watt started opposite Jadeveon Clowney. Devon Still started in place of Watt in preseason. Christian Covington also plays defensive end. The Texans also have Brandon Dunn on the practice squad.
Nobody can replace Watt, of course. While Watt decides what course of action he’s going to pursue to fix his back, the Texans have to do a better job of stopping the run and doing whatever they can to rush the passer.
Watt led the NFL with 17½ sacks last season despite playing four games with a broken hand.
Without Watt rushing the quarterback, the defense will have to rely on outside linebackers Whitney Mercilus and John Simon as well as Clowney.
Mercilus had 12 sacks last season. He and Watt were the league’s most prolific twosome, combining for 29½ sacks.
Going into the Tennessee game, Simon leads the team with 2½ sacks. Clowney has one.
Speaking of Clowney, with Watt out, now there’s even more pressure for him to stay healthy playing his new position of right end in Crennel’s 3-4.