Comeback kids
Watson rallies Texans from 16-point deficit to secure playoff win
HOUSTON — Deshaun Watson threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score in regulation and then led the winning drive in overtime as the Texans added another comeback to Houston playoff history by rallying from a double-digit second-half deficit for a 22-19 victory over the Bills in the first round of the playoffs Saturday.
Both teams had to punt on their first possessions of overtime. On the Texans’ next drive, Watson evaded a sack by wriggling away from one defender and bouncing off another before rolling out to find Taiwan Jones for a 34-yard reception to set up first-and-goal.
Ka’imi Fairbairn then kicked a 28-yard field goal to lift the Texans to the victory.
The Texans scored 19 straight points to take the lead before Steven Hauschka’s 47-yard field goal tied it with 5 seconds left to force overtime.
“We never quit, regardless,” Watson said. “Whatever it takes to get the win. I mean, we’re going to keep fighting.”
The win gives the Texans their first playoff victory since the 2016 season and extends the Bills’ postseason losing streak to six games, with their most recent playoff win coming in 1995. It’s the first wild-card overtime game since the Broncos beat the Steelers 29-23 in the 2011 season.
The game conjured memories of another huge comeback in a wild-card game. The last time teams from Houston and Buffalo met in the playoffs it was in a game that is known as “The Comeback.” The Bills set an NFL record for the largest comeback by rallying from a 32-point deficit for a 41-38 overtime win against the Houston Oilers in a wild-card game in 1993.
This time Josh Allen and the Bills used a dominant first half to build a 13-point lead and were up 16-0 in the third quarter.
Watson had 247 yards passing and ran for 55 yards and DeAndre Hopkins had 90 yards receiving.
Allen threw for 264 yards, ran for 92 and caught a touchdown pass on a trick play in the first quarter, but often looked rattled late in his playoff debut.
Three time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt had a sack and gave a boost to the Texans defense in his return after sitting out since October with a torn pectoral muscle.
“This is why you come back,” Watt said. “I don’t know if I meant to come back for these many plays ... but these feelings, these emotions, these fans, these players, Deshaun Watson and all the guys on this team, this is why you come back.”
The Texans couldn’t get anything going on offense before halftime and had 81 yards in a first half where Hopkins didn’t catch a pass for the first time since Week 16 of the 2017 season.
They were finally able to sustain a drive on their second possession of the third quarter when Hopkins had receptions of 14 and 10 yards to help move the ball. The Texans cut the lead to 10 when Watson dragged two defenders into the end zone on a 20-yard touchdown run.
Watson then dived into the end zone for a 2-point conversion that got the Texans within 16-8 with about two minutes left in the third.
The Bills were driving early in the fourth quarter when Allen was sacked by Whitney Mercilus and fumbled, and it was recovered by Jacob Martin at the Bills 47. The Texans cashed in on the miscue with a 41-yard field goal that cut the lead to 16-11 with about 11 minutes to go.
Watson connected with Carlos Hyde on a 5-yard touchdown pass and Hopkins on a 2-point conversion with about five minutes left to put the Texans on top 19-16. Hopkins had a 41-yard reception earlier in that drive.