Just like the coaches drew it up
Watson, Hopkins make preseason debuts by executing first possession to precision for a TD
The best thing about the Texans’ 30-23 preseason victory over Detroit was their first possession at NRG Stadium.
With quarterback Deshaun Watson and receiver DeAndre Hopkins playing for the first time, the Texans did what coach Bill O’Brien and offensive coordinator Tim Kelly wanted to see.
The Texans got the ball first and went 75 yards in 11 plays. Watson and Hopkins had what amounted to a cameo appearance, but what a sight it was, like clockwork by the team’s two best offensive players.
Watson received outstanding pass protection from a line consisting of left tackle Roderick Johnson, left guard Tytus Howard, center Zach Fulton, right guard Max Scharping and right tackle Seantrel Henderson.
With left tackle Matt Kalil and centers Nick Martin and Greg Mancz sitting out because of injuries, Saturday night’s starters did a superb job of keeping Watson upright.
Watson dropped back eight times. Sometimes he had so much time to throw he could have taken a nap. He completed 5-of-7 passes for 60 yards and ran once for 7 yards.
The payoff came when Watson threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Hopkins on the left side. Hopkins got open and made it look easy. No leaping. No onehanded catch. Just a precise route, good concentration and quick hands for a TD.
Watson wasn’t sacked, and his brief appearance produced a rating of 136.9. Hopkins caught two passes for 17 yards – one a first down and the other the touchdown – before leaving the field and punching his timecard for the night.
Watson, who led the Texans to an 11-5 record and an AFC South title last season, followed Hopkins to the bench and received congratulations from his coaches and teammates for a job well done.
If the Texans are going to hold off the favored Indianapolis Colts and win a fourth division title in O’Brien’s six years, Watson and Hopkins have to be at the forefront.
Watson and Hopkins want to be the NFL’s best pass-catch twosome. If they keep up the kind of precision performance they showed against the Lions, they’re capable of ranking right up there with the very best.
The Texans’ most impressive drive of preseason wasn’t just about Watson, Hopkins and the offensive line. Receiver DeAndre Carter contributed two catches for 30 yards on the series.
Carter’s performance allowed the coaches to breathe a sigh of relief.
Carter is the primary slot receiver until Keke Coutee recovers from the ankle injury he suffered in the first preseason game at Green Bay. Coutee is in danger of missing the start of regular season at New Orleans. Until he returns, there’s a lot of pressure on Carter to give the offense an inside presence.
After missing the first part of training camp and the Green Bay game because of a hamstring injury, Carter returned to practice last week. He hit the ground running and catching. His teammates and coaches paid tribute to his performance.
O’Brien singled out Carter after one of the joint practices this past week against the Lions, praising his route running and the way he caught the ball. Carter rewarded O’Brien’s faith in him by catching three passes for 40 yards on Saturday.
After being claimed on waivers from Philadelphia last season, Carter caught 20 passes when he replaced Coutee, who was in and out of the lineup because of a hamstring injury.
Now that Carter knows the offense better, he seems to be more comfortable in the system and more confident with what he’s doing. If Carter can continue to excel between Hopkins and Will Fuller, Watson can still get consistent production in the middle of the field.
The next test for the Texans comes at Arlington, where they play the Dallas Cowboys in the third preseason game – the one in which teams play their starters the most in preseason.
O’Brien and Kelly want to see Watson and his receivers have a repeat performance against the Cowboys. They need for it to be another good one because it’s their last warmup before traveling to New Orleans for the Monday night opener.