Watt confident he’ll be ready for opener
When the Texans’ defense lines up against the New England Patriots’ offense at Gillette Stadium to launch the regular season, J.J. Watt is certain he’ll be back at his traditional left defensive end spot and chasing around quarterback Tom Brady.
As cautious as the Texans are being with Watt’s workload as far as preseason games, the threetime NFL Defensive Player of the Year is confident he’ll be back in his usual role when the games count.
“Oh yeah, I mean there’s no doubt,” Watt said with emphasis Tuesday morning after his latest encouraging training camp practice session at NRG Park.
The medical odyssey Watt has endured would give many players pause.
The 29-year-old has been limited to 23 tackles and 1½ sacks in eight games combined over the past two seasons because of serious injury problems.
Two year ago, Watt was coming off consecutive NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.
That’s when a troublesome
herniated disk caused him to undergo two back surgeries.
A year ago, Watt suffered a broken leg — a tibial plateau fracture below his knee — that ended another season prematurely.
Watt was reluctant to make bold proclamations when asked if he believes he’ll regain his Pro Bowl form.
Watt is truly living in the moment. And he is determined to not be boxed in by blocking schemes or questions about what he expects from himself during his latest comeback.
“I’m just focused on today,” Watt said. “I know what expectations I have for myself but the only thing I can — any way I answer that question, I’m screwed. You want me to say, ‘Yeah, it’s going to be incredible,’ then you’re setting insane expectations. I say, ‘No, I think I’m going to suck,’ that doesn’t bode too well for myself, either.
“There’s really no good way to answer that question, so I’m literally focused. I control what I can control. Through all my injuries, that’s probably the biggest thing I’ve learned, is control what you can control. All I can control is today; workouts, practice, meetings, and then tomorrow I’ll be able to control that.”
‘J.J. is going to be J.J.’
Watt’s teammates are confident he’ll make it back.
“J.J. is going to be J.J.,” defensive end Christian Covington said. “Hey, he’s J.J. Watt.”
Watt hasn’t experienced any setbacks with his leg, which required surgery.
“I feel great,” he said. “I love being on the field. I’ve had some great work out here. I’m just controlling what I can control.”
Former Chargers team doctor David Chao, an orthopedic surgeon who doesn’t treat Watt, predicted the former Wisconsin standout will be fine in the shortterm as far as his leg is concerned. It’s long-term effects from the injury, including arthritis, that Chao thinks Watt may experience.
Watt has done well in practice while grappling with 6-7, 330pound right tackle Seantrel Henderson.
The quality work Watt has gotten in against Henderson is encouraging to defensive line coach Anthony Weaver.
Watt says it does him no good to think back in time about what he was like as an athlete before these major injuries.
He’s maintaining a laser focus. “No, because it doesn’t help,” Watt said. “It doesn’t do anything for me. I need to be the best I can possibly be today, and then tomorrow I need to be the best I can possibly be tomorrow. It doesn’t help me at all to think about, ‘I wonder if in December I can have this many sacks.’
“I mean, it doesn’t matter because if I don’t take care of August then I’m never going to get to December. So, it’s just one day at a time, one workout at a time, one practice at a time. That’s how I got to be what I was in the first place. You don’t get there by thinking ahead. Of course, you have big dreams and you have big goals, but you accomplish those dreams and goals by working one day at a time.”
Different mentality
The philosophy Watt has built is centered around a blue-collar work ethic and a determination to get back on track after losing two of his prime years of a storied career.
Watt is enjoying himself thoroughly. He can’t wait to play in a real game again. And he’s embracing the journey on his road back to playing again.
“Obviously, the last two years were not fun, but you appreciate the game so much more and you’re so much (more) thankful for your opportunity to be on the field, to go to work,” Watt said. “You have a bit of a different mentality. You don’t complain about as much, you see the brighter side of things a lot more once you’ve been through what I’ve been through. I love every day. I’ve loved it from the start, but I love it even more now.”