Watson engenders vast respect
As he pursues his next general manager and head coach, Cal McNair isn’t the only one who will be doing evaluations this offseason. Potential coaches and GMs will be evaluating the Texans, too.
When they watch tape of the Texans’ disappointing 2020 season, the first player who will stand out is quarterback Deshaun Watson.
That’s no secret, of course, but knowing Watson doesn’t turn 26 until September and is under contract through the 2025 season makes the job more attractive to candidates who could have multiple offers.
Candidates to be the new general manager and coach will know Watson is physically gifted, mentally tough and a dynamic leader who’s liked and respected by his teammates. The beating he’s absorbed from pass rushers since he arrived in Houston in 2017 has proved there’s not a tougher quarterback in the NFL.
Candidates considering the Texans will know Watson can attract free agents who want to play with him. They’ll be im
pressed with the way Watson’s teammates play hard for him.
When they make mistakes like center Nick Martin’s bad snap in the first loss to Indianapolis and Keke Coutee’s fumble in the second one Sunday, Watson’s teammates feel like they’ve let him down.
One reason Watson’s teammates appreciate playing with him is they know he’ll always have their backs. He’s the first to praise a good play and the first to offer consolation for a bad one.
The players respect the consistency of Watson’s personality, and so will the new coach and general manager. Whether the Texans are in a playoff race or out of the running, Watson approaches every practice and game like a postseason appearance is at stake.
The players know they can always count on him to give 100 percent no matter what the situation is during a game or how many games remain in a season. They believe until the game is over, they always have a chance with Watson as their quarterback.
Two times in the last three weeks, the Texans have blown chances to beat the Colts, who are 10-4 and tied with Tennessee for first place in the AFC South. Watson put them in position to win at NRG Stadium and to win or force overtime at Lucas Oil Stadium, but they couldn’t pull it off because of turnovers.
When the new coach and general manager watch film of the losses to Indianapolis, they’ll see a quarterback who put his offense on his back and helped the Texans reach the 2-yard line. Watson blamed himself and not Martin for the fumble two weeks ago. He threw a perfect pass to Coutee on Sunday for what should have been first-and-goal at the 2, but there was no way he could have taken the blame for that one, too.
Losing gnaws at Watson. It’s something he didn’t have to experience until he got to the Texans. He’s learning how to handle it, and he believes what he’s dealing with now willmake him a better quarterback. With no playoffs on the horizon, he’ll have the same drive and competitiveness as long as he’s on the field.
“Just keep working (and) keep fighting,” Watson said about what’s left to play for in the last two games against Cincinnati and Tennessee. “Have some pride, have respect for the game and this organization and your families and the name on the back of your jerseys, and go out there and play.”
Candidates for the coaching and general manager positions will eat that up because they know it comes fromthe heart.
“We’re eliminated and haven’t been winning the last (three) weeks, but at the same time, this is a profession,” Watson said. “This is your job. What you put on film every Sunday, that’s going to dictate your future. No one’s going out there lollygagging. We want to win and have some pride with it.”
Watson is convinced the tough losses like Sunday’s will make the tough victories even more satisfying when they happen. And he’s convinced they will happen and that he will lead the Texans to their first Super Bowl.
Something else that will impress the new regime is that Watson is no prima donna. The only controversy he’s been involved in was not wearing a mask at the opening of Lefty’s last week.
Coaches and general managers work their entire careers hoping to find a quarterback like Watson. When they analyze his 2020 season, they’ll be amazed at what he’s been able to achieve under difficult circumstances.
Despite the turmoil of coach Bill O’Brien’s firing after an 0-4 start, Watson is closing in on career bests in every statistical category. His consistency has been remarkable.
Unfortunately for the Texans, Watson’s performance hasn’t translated into victories like in 2018 and 2019, when he was 11-5 and 10-5 as the starter, but that’s not his fault.
In what has been his most impressive season, during which the Texans have lost six games to teams currently in first place in their divisions, Watson has overcome the loss of receivers DeAndre Hopkins (traded), Will Fuller (suspended) and Randall Cobb (injured).
Watson is saddled with the NFL’s worst running game one season after the Texans ranked ninth. His offensive line hasn’t played as well as last season, and neither has a defense that’s been decimated by injuries and cornerback Bradley Roby’s suspension.
Last week, it was suggested that Watson should be shut down for the last three games to protect him from injuries. Watson wouldn’t hear of it. He believes, as Herm Edwards used to say when he was the Jets’ head coach, you play the game to win. It’s in his DNA.
Interim coach Romeo Crennel was asked Monday what it says about Watson that he continues to play so hard with nothing ahead but a vacation.
“It says he’s a good player — that’s what it says,” Crennel said. “He prepares for the game. He studies the game plan. He understands what goes into it, and then on the field, he’s able to perform at a high level.
“Even though there have been changes in personnel, he can still produce. That’s what it says about him. I think as he continues to grow and develop, he’ll be really good.”
Super Bowl good? Watson believes so. It’s not a question of if with Watson. It’s a question of when — and who’ll be his head coach.