Are these sorry stats Deshaun's new normal?
What’s wrong with Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson? Was he just a one-year wonder who fooled unprepared defenses before his untimely injury as a rookie? Can the Giants pull an upset Sunday to earn their first win of the season against what is now an “overrated” quarterback?
It’s just two games, but those numbers are worse than they seem when you add in additional context regarding opposing defenses.
The week after playing the Texans, the Patriots allowed 481 yards to the Jaguars in a 31-20 loss.
The week before playing the Texans, the Titans allowed touchdown drives of 98 and 89 yards to the Dolphins in a 2720 loss.
It isn’t as if Watson posted poor numbers against defenses. Early stats show the Giants have the toughest defense he will have seen so far.
Counterintuitively, there’s always a danger involving “dynamic” quarterbacks with “escape-ability” who are threats with their legs. They often enjoy a surprisingly quick surge just out of college. Then, defenses learn their tendencies and take away their escape routes. When forced to win only with their arms, many are found wanting.
Worse, “multi-threat” quarterbacks also are prone to running themselves into injuries — knees, ankles, Achilles tendons, concussions, separated shoulders — when tackled hard on scrambles. Watson suffered a torn ACL without contact in practice last season.
That’s a possibly double-whammy confronting Watson in 2018. Defenses had an entire offseason to watch film. And, he may not be as freewheeling as he was last season (hence, seven sacks in two games).
Betting markets are still trying to pin down the right read on both the Giants and Texans. Each is 0-2 straight up and against the spread, having played competitive season openers against Super Bowl threats before disappointing the next week on the road in losses to divisional rivals.
The Giants are having their own offensive issues out of the gate, but that could be expected in a transition to a new coach who’s trying to fix the interior line. Houston was supposed to hit the ground running. Instead, the Texans are dead-last in an improving AFC South.
It’s a big game for both. Have sports books pegged the game correctly with Houston laying just under a touchdown? Bettors should learn a lot just by seeing who doesn’t respond to the pressure of trying to avoid starting the season 0-3. And, they’ll also have a better sense of Deshaun’s Watson’s true expectations moving forward.