Watt’s broken left leg deflates NRG Stadium, hopes for season
“Sunday Night Football” wasn’t supposed to go this way.
The Texans were hyped to play on the big stage a week after their record-breaking win over Tennessee. They were excited to host the undefeated Kansas Chiefs, who boast one of the best offenses in the NFL. They were ready to prove their recent improvement could propel them to another win, a defining one.
But with 7:03 left in the first quarter Sunday night, everything changed. A player was on the ground in pain after a Kansas City offensive play. As the players and officials parted, it became clear. A white No. 99 on the dark blue Texans jersey.
J.J. Watt was down. And it didn’t look good.
After rushing the passer on a routine play, Watt’s left leg buckled and he fell.
The life was sucked out of a sold-out NRG Stadium as fans stared in horror, their hero grimacing on the ground.
The news is bad. Watt is out for the season. Again.
He suffered a left tibial plateau fracture — a fracture in the shinbone. It affects the knee joint, stability and motion.
Watt will require season-ending surgery to repair his leg.
It goes without saying this is a
big loss for the Texans. Watt, 28, isn’t just a top-tier player. He is the heart and soul of the team.
It’s hard to watch Watt go down like this, especially since he spent most of last season sidelined after injuring his surgically repaired back early in the season. Now Watt has to start over again and go through surgery and recovery.
“I feel terrible for the guy, but knowing him and knowing the type of guy he is, he is an amazing human being and he will work extremely hard to get back to play for this football team,” coach Bill O’Brien said.
As he limped off the field Sunday night, arms over the shoulders of two Texans staff members, the look on Watt’s face spoke volumes. He tried to put on a brave face, but the tears couldn’t be hidden. He tried to put weight on his leg, but every move looked laborious and agonizing.
It seemed like Watt has just returned. He was starting to look like his old self — the best defensive player in the league, and at times the best player in the NFL, period.
This season, he’s said repeatedly he feels good. And that meant something. The Texans boast one of the league’s top defenses, and Watt was a big part of that. His absence creates a clear disadvantage.
From the painful walk off the field to a medical tent being constructed around him on the sidelines to him being driven off the field — his left leg dangling off the side of the cart — it was clear this injury was terrible.
Early in the second quarter, Watt was loaded onto an ambulance and taken away.
After his injury, the energy level in the stadium changed. The Chiefs scored 16 cosnecutive points before the Texans responded with a touchdown in the final minutes of the first half.
The Texans did go on to have some highlights in their 42-34 loss. Rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson remained impressive, throwing for 261 yards and five touchdowns.
But it wasn’t enough. It’s understandable the momentum shifted after Watt’s injury.
Watt is much more than a force on defense; he is the outright leader of the Texans.
His intensity, the way he screams “Let’s go!” as he makes his entrance from the tunnel, the way every fan immediately amps up when he’s around, the way his teammates respond to him, are huge for this team.
Watt sets the tone for the Texans.
And this season, it’s been the right one for this team.
Not only has he made goals of winning and improving clear, he’s been a hero to this city in a time of great need. Following the destruction and flooding from Hurricane Harvey, he raised millions of dollars, he lifted spirits, he brought positive attention to the city.
Losing Watt is bigger than losing a player. It’s so much more. This is as big a blow as it can be for the Texans.
A week after the team put up its best performance of the season, showing the improvement was coming in waves, the Texans took a hard hit.
The Texans will have to find a way to pull together and recover this season.
They’ve done it before without Watt and will have to again. His absence will be felt. On the field and in the locker room.