Watson earns respect of peers
Teammates laud QB for wherewithal to play through pain
The mental and physical toughness shown by Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in the last three games is remarkable. His teammates never cease to be amazed at the pain he has played through since being injured in the overtime victory over Dallas.
“He’s tough, man,” safety Tyrann Mathieu said Tuesday. “I think he’s everything we’re trying to be as a team, which is a tough team.”
The Texans have become a tough team, just like their quarterback. They wouldn’t have a chance for a five-game winning streak Thursday night against Miami after rebounding from an 0-3 start if they didn’t have a ton of toughness.
Watson is playing with a partially collapsed lung and a broken rib — injuries he suffered while throwing for 375 yards and running for 40 more in the overtime victory over the Cowboys.
Watson doesn’t complain about playing with pain. He joked about his luxury coach ride to Jacksonville that was necessary because damage to his lung has kept him from flying for at least two weeks.
Obviously, the injuries have affected Watson’s performance. After throwing for at least 310 yards in four consecutive games, including at least 375 in three in a row, his yardage has dropped drastically because of the injuries.
Watson threw for 177 yards against Buffalo, throwing only 25 passes and completing 15. At Jacksonville on Sunday, he threw 24 times and connected on 12 for 139 yards. The Texans won both games because they played great defense and special teams and ran the ball more effectively.
Watson’s teammates know what he’s going through. They know how many hours he spends with the trainers. He gets a lot of positive feedback from them.
“A lot of guys came up to me and texted me after the game and told me how proud they were of me and (what) a great person and teammate I am to be able to do what I do and keep the team first and make sure that I’m healthy,” he said.
As coach Bill O’Brien pointed out, Watson inspires his teammates, and they inspire him.
“It’s cool to see that from my teammates, ( just) awesome,” Watson said. “That locker room has always been great to me since I (set) foot in this organization. All the veteran guys to all the young guys, we’ve all been able to build chemistry and have a great relationship.”
No player is going to welcome the time off between the Dolphins game and the trip to Denver more than Watson. Then he’ll get another week to rest when the Texans have their open date.
Cautious approach
The injuries have forced Watson to run less and do more to protect himself. Against the Jaguars, who have one of the NFL’s best front sevens, he was sacked once, tying the fewest of the season, and knocked down a season-low five times.
Because the Texans had their running game going, including Lamar Miller rushing for 100 yards and a touchdown, there wasn’t as much pressure on Watson to make big plays with his arm and legs.
Despite the injuries, Watson needs to improve some parts of his game if the winning streak is going to continue against the Dolphins and the quarterback Watson replaced, Brock Osweiler.
Making good decisions with the ball, getting rid of it fast and being accurate on his throws are things he must always improve.
“He really works at it,” O’Brien said. “He’s understanding defenses better. He does so many things well (and) he gets better every day.”
O’Brien and quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan work with Watson on protecting himself. They saw him do a better job of it against the Jaguars. His pass protectors improved, too.
“As you keep working with him and keep preaching to him about good decisions, balancing that with never trying to take away his instincts because that’s a big part of his game, it’s an effective part of his game,” Ryan said. “OB and I (say), ‘Hey, when the journey is over, it’s over.’
“We’re going to make a right choice on this play, and we’re going to live to see another down, and that’s the way it’s going to be.’ I think just the constant preaching of that and showing him examples of the good and the bad throughout the league helps.”
Unlike Osweiler, Watson has a terrific relationship with O’Brien. They work well together. Watson is coachable. He listens in meetings and takes it on the field for practice.
Sometimes, though, his competitive nature takes over during games, and he can be reckless, which exposes him to vicious hits.
The coaches may tell Watson to protect himself at all costs, but he’ll explain that he was trying to make a play to help his team win. It’s hard to argue with that explanation, no matter how painful it ends up being for him.
Watson was asked Tuesday what he thinks he’s doing well and what he needs to improve on.
“Really, just managing the offense in the right way, making sure we’re in the right plays, doing what we can to be able to move the ball down the field,” he said about the positives. “The things I feel like I need to be doing better are capitalizing in the red zone and (on) third down. And making sure I know what the coverage is, know where my reads take me and getting the ball to the receivers.”
Will momentum continue?
It’ll be interesting to see O’Brien’s game plan in a short week. Because the Texans are in first place and have a chance to reach the midway point with a 5-3 record if they can defeat the Dolphins, their adrenalin should be pumping at a sky-high level.
“It’s always great to be able to come home and try to continue the win streak in front of our home fans,” Watson said. “The home fans are going to be electric.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to continue the streak – homefield advantage – and for us to bring more excitement to the city.”