Watt giving us good imitation of pre-injury vintage version

Since halftime of the Texans’ first game at New England, J.J. Watt has been like a locomotive picking up steam until reaching full speed two weeks ago. Watt’s performance in the last two games against the Giants and Colts has catapulted him into the conversation for NFL Defensive Player of the Year — an award he’s won three times, tying Lawrence Taylor for the league record.

In the last two games, Watt has five sacks, 12 tackles (eight unassisted), four tackles for loss, five quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.

Watt registered at least two sacks in back-to-back games for the seventh time, an NFL record. No other player has done it more than three times.

Through four games, Chicago outside linebacker Khalil Mack is the leading candidate to be voted defensive player of the year. Mack is deserving because he’s

helped the Bears start 3-1 and lead the NFC North with a defense that ranks fourth in the league.

The Texans’ 1-3 record works against the Watt. Going into Sunday night’s nationally televised game against the Dallas Cowboys at NRG Stadium, they’re tied for last place in the AFC South. And their defense is ranked 22nd.

Check out this statistical comparison between Watt and Mack.

Tackles: Watt 20, Mack 17. Sacks: Watt 5, Mack 5. Quarterback hits: Watt 7, Mack 4. Tackles for loss: Watt 6, Mack 3. Forced fumbles: Watt 4, Mack 4.

If Watt can continue his impressive performance against the Cowboys, the nation will find out what the Texans already know — Watt is all the way back after missing most of the last two seasons with injuries.

“Who says I am?” Watt said Wednesday, smiling at the question.

Well, J.J., just about everyone who’s watched you the last two games.

You’re on a pace for at least 20 sacks for the third time. You’re playing like you did from 2012-15 when you averaged 17.4 sacks, 47.5 quarterback hits and 29.4 tackles for loss, and you were voted first team All-Pro after each season.

You haven’t looked like a player who underwent back surgery twice in 2016 and had another operation to repair a broken leg last year, costing you 24 games the last two seasons.

You said during the offseason program that you could tell us how great you felt, but until you proved it on the field, seeing would be believing.

“I (said) you’d have to see it with your own eyes, so you tell me,” Watt said.

OK, not too shabby for a 29year-old.

“I still have a lot of work to do,” Watt said. “That’s the exciting part for me — I still have a lot of room to improve.” Like what? “The last game (Colts) was a ton of plays, a really long game,” he said. “I’d like to be a little better conditioned at the end. I’d like to handle double-teams and chips a little better. I’m seeing more and more of those. And there are always a lot of little things you can improve.

“All I’m trying to do is get better than the week before (and) be the guy that improves the most.”

Which might be scary in this scariest month of the year.

Bill O’Brien said he’s not surprised at how dominant Watt has been the last two games.

“He (did) an incredible job in the offseason of rehabbing,” O’Brien said. “When he got to training camp, he was playing at a high level.

“I’ve been around him for five years, and his expectation level of himself is huge.”

Imagine where Watt would be statistically if he hadn’t missed most of the last two seasons.

He has 23 multiple-sack games, second all-time to Reggie White’s 29. Watt has 81 sacks. Only White reached 80 faster than Watt.

“I’m always chasing him,” Watt said. “I grew up idolizing Reggie.”

Watt idolized the Packers as a youngster in Pewaukee, Wis.

“I knew he was an incredible player, and I knew it was cool to see how much people adored him,” Watt said. “I always thought there was something more where people loved him on another level, maybe more than just as a football player.”

Watt was 4 when White signed with Green Bay in 1993. He was 9 when White retired from the Packers in 1998. He was 15 when White died the day after Christmas in 2004.

“To be accomplishing some of these things and to see how incredible he really was from a stat perspective and from what he accomplished as a player, it’s unbelievable,” Watt said. “If there’s anybody I’m going to be No. 2 to, I’m alright being No. 2 to Reggie White.”