Coach delivers pick-me-up speech to down team
O’Brien emphasizes resiliency as duties at QB change hands
The trademark smile and swagger Deshaun Watson usually brings to the Texans’ huddle were absent Friday, a somber day as a harsh reality set in about his dynamic rookie season being abruptly cut short.
Watson barely even limped inside the locker room one day after suffering a major knee injury during a routine running play in a non-contact practice; his gait
not revealing the severity of the situation.
One of the most exciting and prolific players in the NFL, Watson was placed on injured reserve. He will undergo surgery on his right knee to repair the damage and has been replaced by veteran quarterback Tom Savage, who was the Texans’ starter when the season started but lasted only a half before being replaced by the rookie.
With Watson as starter, the Texans had built the highestscoring offense in the NFL as the team adopted its offense to fit Watson’s running and passing skills.
Despite the obvious gloom that accompanies losing a Pro Bowl and Rookie of the Year candidate who leads the NFL with 21 total touchdowns, Texans coach Bill O’Brien is determined to not let despair set in.
O’Brien delivered a powerful message of overcoming adversity during a team meeting, a recurring theme for a team
that already has dealt with the destruction of Hurricane Harvey, season-ending injuries to J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus and Watson and a firestorm of a controversy involving owner Bob McNair’s “inmates” comments.
O’Brien was similarly passionate when discussing the aftermath of the Watson injury.
“It’s a very resilient bunch of guys, great veteran leadership in there, and we’ll battle,” O’Brien said. “We’re not going to give in to what’s out there that the demise of the Houston Texans is upon us. I mean, that’s ridiculous. We’re going to show up and fight and play.”
Watson, the team’s first-round draft pick, had transformed the identify of a once-plodding offense into an electric one capable of piling up points in a hurry. He had thrown 16 touchdown passes in October, breaking Dan Marino’s NFL rookie record for most touchdown passes in a calendar month from 1983.
Watson told a team spokesperson he didn’t want to conduct interviews Friday, but he released a statement later on his social media platforms where he reacted to his lost season and vowed to make another strong comeback after tearing the ACL in his left knee in college. “The journey back seems far but I’ve been here before and will conquer it once again,” he wrote.
The Texans’ journey for the final nine games will be led by Savage.
Stating the obvious
Savage and Watson have vastly different playing styles. Watson has rare mobility. Savage is a classic pocket passer. He was sacked six times in the first half of a season-opening loss to Jacksonville.
“You can’t really replace Deshaun Watson,” Savage said. “You know what I mean? The kid’s been playing absolutely lights out, but that’s not my job. My job is to go out there and help this team win and do whatever I can to help. I’m just going to state the obvious: There’s some things he can do that I can’t do.”
Although O’Brien was reticent about how he’ll adapt his scheme to suit Savage, it’s expected the Texans will run the football more frequently. They likely will have plenty of three-step drops and keep more players in for maximum protection to keep Savage standing.
“Clearly, there’s differences,” O’Brien said. “I mean, that’s obvious.
There’s going to be some things that we adjust and some things we don’t.”
For his career, Savage has completed 64 of 105 passes for 650 yards, no touchdowns and one interception for a 73.9 passer rating.
“He’s a very accurate passer,” O’Brien said. “He’s got a very talented arm. He’s improved from the last time he’s played.”
The Texans rank first in scoring offense, averaging 30.7 points per game. They’re third in rushing offense and have improved in several areas as wide receivers
DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller have caught seven touchdowns apiece.
“Obviously, Deshaun gave us a lot with his running, which obviously we won’t get from Tom,” O’Brien said. “That’s not something that’s part of his skill set. We can still run the football, and there’s a lot of things that we’re doing that’s a lot different than the last time Tom played. So it’ll be a challenge, but Tom and I and the rest of the offense, we’re up for it.”
It was a routine play by all accounts, the fateful moment Thursday afternoon when Watson got hurt.
“It was definitely a normal play,” rookie running back D’Onta Foreman said. “I was like, ‘What happened?’ and he was like, ‘My knee buckled.’ I didn’t think nothing of it at the time.”
Watson’s knee gave out on him without being touched.
“I saw him go down, ”wide receiver Bruce Ellington said. “He got right up, so I didn’t think anything would happen. We just thought he was going to get it checked out and everything was going to be OK and then we heard the bad news.”
“It was just a freakish-looking deal,” tackle Chris Clark said. “It almost looked like he was playing around. It just gave out on him.”
‘He truly is a player’s coach’
Saddened by Watson’s injury, which prompted the Texans to sign T.J. Yates to back up Savage and Matt McGloin as the third quarterback, the Texans have to adapt quickly and not dwell on what has happened.
“With football comes adversity, we understand that,” Clark said. “It’s always one of those things you just have to endure. This is what we get paid to do. So, next guy up, just step in there and we keep the wheels moving. No time to feel sorry for yourself.”
Despite all of the adversity the Texans have experienced, players emphasized O’Brien’s leadership style has been instrumental in dealing with each curveball the season has thrown at them.
“Ultimately, he’s communicated with us,” Savage said. “He didn’t act like none of this stuff was going on. I think it would be easy to be like, ‘Hey, we have practice at nine, we’ll see you out there,’ but he communicated with us.
“He’s one of the guys, and he truly is a player’s coach.”
Watson finished his first NFL season by completing 61.8 percent of his throws for 1,699 yards, 19 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 103.0 passer rating. He also rushed for 269 yards and two scores. He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month and NFL Rookie of the Month the same day he was injured.
“He’s a very special player, he’s a special kid, he’s got a great future,” O’Brien said. “In the short time that he played for us, it’s obvious and also the type of guy that he is, that he will be one of the top quarterbacks in this league for a long time to come.”