TEXANS QB DESHAUN WATSON LIKES THE LONG BALL.
Texans try to take advantage of speedy receiving corps by throwing deep more frequently
Quarterback Deshaun Watson is throwing the ball down the field more than any time in his four-year career.
Watson’s 8.9yard average per attempt is the best of his career going into Sunday’s game at Tennessee. He’s second in the NFL this season to the Rams’ Jared Goff, who averages 9.03 yards.
In 2019, Watson’s average per attempt was 7.8 yards.
In Sunday’s 30-14 victory over Jacksonville, Watson completed 25 of 34 for 359 yards and three touchdowns. His average per attempt of 10.26 yards was the seventh best of his 47-game career, including playoffs, and his best since a 12.91-yard average against Atlanta in 2019.
Watson’s best average per attempt was 13.4 yards in a loss at Seattle during his rookie year — his last game before suffering a torn ACL in practice.
Watson and offensive coordinator Tim Kelly are trying to take advantage of the Texans’ speed at wide receiver. Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks and Kenny Stills ran official 40-yard dashes in the 4.3s coming out of college. Randall Cobb ran 4.46.
This is the first time Watson has been blessed with so much speed with his top four receivers.
“It depends on how the defense wants to play us,” Watson said Wednesday. “A lot of teams want to challenge our receivers and challenge me to make lowpercentage throws down the field.
“I’ve had a lot more opportunities (to throw down the field). Also, we want those guys to run and do what they like to do and use their speed and strength (and) having more opportunities and trying to take advantage of it.”
A good example of what Kelly and Watson want to accomplish the rest of the season can be found in the first play against the Jaguars. After the defense forced a punt, the Texans took over at their 16, and Watson threw a perfect pass down the right sideline to Cooks for a 36-yard gain.
Cooks did a terrific job getting
off the line of scrimmage against cornerback Chris Claybrooks and outrunning him down the sideline.
That kind of completion on the first play showed Jacksonville’s defense what the Texans were capable of doing for the rest of the game, so the Jaguars’ defensive backs had to beware.
“If you guys want to press, we’re going to take our shots,” Watson said about the message to the Jaguars. “We want to set the tone early, especially with Cookie and getting him the ball. They came up and pressed, and I had to make sure we both connected, and it set the tone for the rest of the game.
“I think it also helped our defense and special teams. It showed them we’re coming out ready to go and that we wanted to throw the ball.”
Through five games against a much tougher schedule than the first five games of 2019, Watson has completed 23 passes of at least 20 yards. He had 20 at this
point last season.
In 2019, Fuller had a team-high seven catches of 20 or more yards through five games. DeAndre Hopkins had five.
This season, Cooks leads with eight. Fuller and Cobb are tied for second with four each.
“I think you try to take advantage of what you have, and because we have those fast, experienced receivers, you try to design some things so you can get those guys the ball,” interim coach Romeo Crennel said.
Watson’s pass protection improved against Jacksonville. He was sacked a season-low one time. He had more time in the pocket against the Jaguars’ depleted defense, and he took advantage by throwing for a season-high 359 yards.
“I think it all goes hand in hand,” Crennel said. “If you can’t protect the guy, he’s not going to be able to get it down the field. You’ve got to have good protection to give him the opportunity to throw the ball.
“Whether it’s short, intermediate or deep, I think you have to have a combination of all of them and have some catch-and-runs as well as some home run balls.”
The Texans had everything against the Jaguars — short, intermediate and deep balls Watson connected on with his receivers.
Fuller leads the team with 22 catches for 332 yards (15.1-yard average) and three touchdowns. Cobb (19 for 260, 13.7), Cooks (18 for 299, 16.6) and Stills (eight for 104 and 13.0) average at least 13 yards a catch. All but Stills have at least one reception of 25 or more yards. Stills’ longest is 24.
Tight ends Jordan Akins averages 12 yards on 14 receptions. Darren Fells averages 15 yards on eight catches and has two touchdowns.
Watson has a good on-field relationship with his receivers. When the Texans break the huddle, Watson surveys the defense. His receivers have to know what adjustments to make based on how they’re being played.
“I have the freedom to make sure we get on the same page,” Watson said. “I don’t want to go rogue. I have to stick to the script and the game plan and make sure I’m calling the right plays to beat the defense we see on that play.”
Kelly, assistant quarterbacks coach T. J. Yates and backup quarterback AJ McCarron work on the passing game with Watson.
“Me and Tim are on the same page with T. J. and AJ,” Watson said. “We have a great relationship and great communication giving ideas about what we see and what we think is going to work and go from there.”
And now the Texans are going to Tennessee to play the unbeaten Titans coming off their impressive 42-16 victory over Buffalo. They’ll try to pull an upset and hope they can keep the Titans from running away with the AFC South title.