Resilient Watson has Texans back on track
Mike Jones: Quarterback bounced back from knee injury and 0-3 start
HOUSTON – Deshaun Watson found himself in uncharted territory, and not in a good way.
Bewildered and frustrated, the Texans quarterback searched for answers.
A torn anterior cruciate ligament limited his impressive rookie season to seven games. Before this season, doctors ruled the knee physically sound, and Watson deemed himself mentally ready. But he quickly realized he still had trust issues to resolve regarding his knee and instincts to resharpen. Only playing time would remedy that, he understood. He suffered the same injury in his left knee in 2014 at Clemson.
But a three-game losing streak to open the season left Watson struggling to find answers.
“Mentally, I was really struggling because my whole life, I’d never started out 0-3,” Watson told USA TODAY on Wednesday.
Watson had taken a break from getting dressed for practice and sat back in the chair in front of his locker. Staring at the floor, he shook his head as emotions and moments from 12 weeks earlier re- played in his mind.
“That was a weird feeling,” Watson continued. “But I had to stay the course, continue to trust the process, trust my grind and preparation and know things were going to turn around.”
Watson’s frustrations ran high internally.
“It might not have looked like it because I keep a cool head on the sidelines,” the 23-year-old said. “But it was very frustrating. You could tell I was still getting my groove back. I wasn’t coming out rapid-fire and running around and doing things like that. It was more of just
“I had to stay the course, continue to trust the process, trust my grind and preparation and know things were going to turn around.” Deshaun Watson Texans quarterback, on his team’s 0-3 start
getting a feel.
“And a lot of people were expecting the exact same thing as last year: a lot of big plays and touchdowns and things like that. But defenses, they watch film too and are going to try to take away what they didn’t know about last year. So, every week, they were getting me on something new, like a blitz or a coverage I hadn’t seen.”
Watson maintained that stoic demeanor because “it’s in my DNA.” His mother, Deann Watson, provided countless lessons on how to properly respond to adversity, including during his sophomore year of high school when she survived a battle with cancer that required doctors to remove her tongue to save her life.
“My mom,” he said, “through any situation or tough times — I’ve been around her forever, so I can tell — but she might get frustrated, but she always comes off as cool. She never shows her weakness and never lets it show that she’s affected by any negative situation, and I’ve always seen that and learned to do that.”
Watson also reminded himself of his high school coach’s advice: “Snap and clear. Move on to the next play, the next situation in life. Good things will come.”
He went to the film. If Watson saw a bad technique or poor decision, he’d write it down and make adjustments.
Watson went about his business quietly, but teammates still noticed. He arrived for work earlier than normal and remained on the practice field longer. They started following suit.
“We all got back to fundamentals,” running back Alfred Blue told USA TODAY. “The line, backs — everyone started staying after practice. We cleaned up the little things.”
Watson and the Texans broke through. Comfort restored, the secondyear passer guided Houston to a ninegame winning streak, snapped last weekend in a loss to the Colts, and a two-game lead in the AFC South.
Even reflecting on the recent defeat, Watson refuses to flinch. “We had an opportunity to be in a position we wanted,” he said. “We hadn’t lost in 12 weeks, so, it was a weird feeling, but it was a good learning lesson.”
Two plays, both potential touchdowns, gnaw at Watson. He missed on a deep pass to Demaryius Thomas and later rushed a throw to DeAndre Hopkins.
“You live and you learn,” Watson told himself Sunday night. “Correct your mistakes and know that this time of year, those plays matter.”
The rest of the Texans have taken cues from him as they seek redemption Saturday against the Jets at MetLife Stadium.
“He’s not a loud talker. It’s his demeanor. His swagger,” safety Tyrann Mathieu told USA TODAY. “He’s one of those guys that doesn’t really talk, but he carries a big stick. He believes in himself and is the ultra-competitor, and we believe in him too.”
Said Blue: “We know that with 4 back there, the sky is the limit. He’s that free spirit that’s just like, ‘Let’s go!’ Know what I’m saying? We’re standing in the huddle, waiting for the call, and he’s out there talking like, ‘Let’s get this touchdown right here.’ It’s always a touchdown in his mind. That’s the mind-set you’ve got to have.”
Watson again points to lessons from his mother when explaining his leadership style. When he arrived in Houston last year as the No. 12 overall pick, he wondered how his veteran teammates would receive him.
But he had always learned to simply be himself, work hard and “never press.”
“Guys have been in the league a long time. All-Americans, future Hall of Famers, Pro Bowlers. Are they going to listen to this 22-year-old guy who hasn’t played a snap in this league?” Watson recalls wondering. “There were some nerves, but end of the day, they supported me. I was respectful, didn’t come in with a big head and they knew the work that I put in during the offseason and training camp and then in the season. They saw what they needed and told me they were putting their faith in me and were going to follow me.”
They have indeed, and it’s paying off. A year after the Texans went 1-8 after losing him to injury, Watson has his team back on track.