More valuable than ever
Team can’t fathom life without Watson’s instinct for big plays
The last time the Astros won a World Series, Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending knee injury.
That’s a two-year anniversary Watson doesn’t want to remember.
It was Nov. 1, 2017. Watson was coming off what would be the sixth and last start of his rookie year. He had thrown for 402 yards and four touchdowns in the Texans’ 41-38 loss at Seattle. During practice three days later, without being touched, Watson felt something pop in his knee that turned out to be a torn ACL.
That night, Houston fans celebrated the Astros’ seventhgame victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers and bemoaned the loss of Watson.
The Texans went 1-8 without Watson, finishing 4-12 and in last place in the AFC South.
The Texans don’t want to experience life without Watson again because he means so much to the team.
Sunday’s 27-24 victory over Oakland, won on his 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Darren Fells after the quarterback was accidentally kicked in the eye, was the eighth time Watson has ignited a victory in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Coach Bill O’Brien, his assistants and their players believe if Watson’s got the ball, the Texans have a chance to beat any team, any time, any place.
To beat Jacksonville on Sunday, the Texans will have to do it five time zones away at Wembley Stadium in London, where Watson will try to lead them to a sweep of the AFC South series. The Texans won the first game 13-12 the second weekend of the season.
“I think Deshaun gives us a chance every week,” O’Brien said while the team prepared for the trip to England. “Deshaun’s a great player with excellent instincts and makes really good decisions with the ball in his hands.”
And sometimes Watson’s instincts take over. That’s what happened Sunday with 6 minutes, 34 seconds remaining and the Texans behind 24-20 against Oakland.
On first down at the Raiders’ 9-yard line, Watson made a play that defines him as an athlete, as a player who never gives up and one who makes good decisions even if they are instinctively.
The play has been shown repeatedly on highlight shows, websites and on social media. It’s been analyzed in sports talk shows around the country.
Watson was under pressure in the pocket from end Arden Key. As Watson put a spin move on Key to get away from him, the end’s leg flew up and his shoe went through the quarterback’s facemask and hit him in the left eye.
Watson managed to pull away from Key and used his left hand to straighten his facemask so he could see out of his right eye and threw a pass into the end zone for Fells, who made a terrific catch for what would prove to be the game-winning touchdown.
Oakland coach Jon Gruden was in awe of the play and Watson’s overall performance against the Raiders. He threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns and had a 115.2 rating. Afterward, Gruden spoke in what sounded like frustrating admiration.
“He’s a spectacular player,” he said. “He wills it out of his team. He makes something out of nothing (and) we’re not the first team he’s gotten.”
And the Raiders won’t be the last.
Watson takes a lot of pride in leading his team to victories, especially when they have to come from behind. He did it at Clemson, and he’s doing it with the Texans.
“We’re never out of a game, regardless of what the score is,” he said. “The game comes down to inches (and) we’ve got to play 60 minutes.”
And sometimes more. Watson is 2-0 as a starter in overtime.
Watson has started 30 regularseason games in three seasons and has a 19-11 record, including 16-8 the last two seasons. He’s never lost a regular-season game by more than one score.
Since Watson became the starter, the Texans have come from behind to win 13 games, tying New Orleans for the most in the NFL.
Watson’s performance against the Raiders gave him 8,095 yards passing, 1,062 rushing, 61 touchdown passes and 12 touchdowns rushing in his career. Impressive, right?
Check this out: Watson is the first quarterback in NFL history to reach 8,000 yards passing and 1,000 rushing in his first 31 games. He’s also the first to have 60 TD passes and 10 TDs rushing in his first 31 games.
Watson’s 61 touchdown passes are fifth-most in league history for a quarterback in his first 31 games behind Dan Marino (75), Kurt Warner (72), Patrick Mahomes (65) and Matthew Stafford (62).
No matter how many touchdown passes Watson throws in his career, it’s going to be difficult for him to have one that’s more exciting than the gamewinner to Fells that beat the Raiders.
Not that he got to see it. He was on the ground in agony as his eye was swelling shut. He knew the Texans scored by the roar of the crowd. He had to wait to see it until after the game, and he could see it with only one eye.
“They (teammates) said it was amazing,” Watson said. “I kind of saw it — someone sent it to me after the game. It was a freak play, something everyone was excited about. They (were) happy I was all right and that I’m a part of this team.”