Small step for QB, giant leap in comeback

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For Deshaun Watson, this was more than a formality. More than a meaningless practice game.

The score didn’t matter, of course. It wasn’t about winning or losing. For Watson, a pure-bred perfectionist seeking improvement at every turn, performing at a high level in this game was a priority, but not as important as playing in it.

One drive. A single possession. Five plays. Watson didn’t last as long as Justin Verlander did at Minute Maid Park on Thursday night, but his five plays were beautiful to the Texans.

The last time we saw Watson on the field against an opponent trying to stop him, he put in a sterling performance in a losing effort at Seattle.

That was more than nine months ago; a real game in October. The next week, the thenrookie quarterback injured his knee at practice and was out for the season. Without Watson, who in six weeks as a starter was arguably the most exciting offensive player in the NFL, the Texans went on to lose eight of their last nine games.

They won’t be as pitiful

if Watson isn’t on the field at some point this season — backup Brandon Weeden was outstanding in relief in Thursday’s 17-10 win over the Chiefs — having a healthy Watson is crucial to the team’s hopes of contending for the playoffs.

This preseason victory over the Chiefs, isn’t a real game in the real standings, but it was real. Taking snaps against an unrestricted opponent was a huge moment for Watson.

Seize the moment

“Every opportunity (has) big meaning for not just me, but the whole team,” Watson said after his short night in which he threw one pass (a 4-yard completion). “From practice to meetings to walk-throughs, preseason games, regular-season games, playoffs, Super Bowl. Every

opportunity really matters and counts. Everyone is getting evaluated and everyone is trying to get better. You learn something new each and every time you step out there on the field.”

Before the Texans face the Patriots in September, Watson will be asked about his return to a regular-season game. He’s media-friendly, so he will give a thoughtful answer about how huge it will be.

Ignore it.

The only difference between this game and the season opener in Foxborough is Watson will have a detailed game plan for the Patriots and he will enter that one expecting to play the full contest.

Watson looked smooth in offseason team workouts. Football in shorts. He looked fluid at training camp practices in the West Virginia mountains.

Tackle-free football.

On this night, the whistle wouldn’t blow to protect him. Watson was back in an NFL game.

NFL rules have become more protective of quarterbacks. But preseason football is still football, so anything could have happened. Nothing did — Watson was never touched — and that made Thursday’s return a rousing success. Matters not that the Texans picked up just one first down and failed to score when he was in the game.

(Maybe they would have scored had Bill O’Brien not punted on fourth-and-1 at midfield. Looks like the fifth-year coach is in midseason form. No, that’s not good.)

As serious as Watson’s injury was — torn anterior cruciate ligaments have ended careers — the physical comeback isn’t more challenging than

the mental one. Watson believes that his having gone through this process — in 2014, while at Clemson, he tore the ACL in his left knee — has helped him this time.

That might be true, but this test of a surgically repaired right knee is a first.

Cautious approach

Only Watson knows whether he is the same. Only Watson knows whether he believes in the knee, if he has no doubts. As he plays more, makes cuts, takes hits, then we will know.

“We’ll take it one day at a time and see how it goes,” Watson said. “There’s no rush. Whenever the opportunity comes, OB and the organization is gonna make sure they do it the right way. Make sure that I’m gonna have plenty of time to get prepared for the season.”

Doctors clearing Watson to return to practice was nowhere near the last step in his progress.

If a singer were out for a while with a careerthreatening injury, the return to performing in front of an audience would be a major jump from studio work.

OTAs, minicamp, training camp, have all been studio work for Watson. Thursday, he performed, however briefly, before an audience.

That it was a benefit for the NFL owners’ association, the lone profiteers from these mostly uninteresting preseason contests, doesn’t change the fact Watson played in a real game. Against a real opponent.

It was a significant victory.