Texans QB is the real deal
Texans say playing with quarterback Deshaun Watson is just like watching him
Teammates have plenty to say about Deshaun Watson.
Poised.
Genuine.
Calm.
Smooth.
The words kept flowing as the Texans described Deshaun Watson, the 24-year-old face of their franchise, in their own words.
“He’s not a dude who’s super rah-rah, but we all expect him to go out and make something happen,” safety Justin Reid said. “He doesn’t have to say it. And it’s almost become normal, just to see him go out and make crazy plays.”
“He’s a Virgo,” veteran running back Carlos Hyde said. “I’m a Virgo. I understand him better than anybody. We’re laid-back people. Easy going. We’re just cool people. I feel like, as long as you don’t do us bad, you stay on our good side, we’ll forever be good to you.”
Thirty-five games into his professional career, Watson has been everything the Texans and their fans were hoping for and more.
You watched Watson beat Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the NFL’s reigning champs on national television last Sunday. Then you watched Watson’s electric highlights replayed over and over on your TV this week.
Since the Texans leapt upward on April 27, 2017, to take the collegiate national champion with the No. 12 overall pick of the draft, his inspiring life story has been told and retold, his No. 4 jersey now rivals famous No. 99 as the most common sight inside NRG Stadium, and Watson has joined Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson as the NFL’s next era of elite, thrilling young quarterbacks.
But what is Watson like at practice? In the locker room when the media isn’t around? In the huddle when another game is on the line? Off the field and away from the confines of professional football?
We know more than ever about the athlete the Texans refer to as D4. But like Rockets superstar James Harden, we really only see a glimpse of the real Watson.
“Outside of the field, very goofy,” tight end Jordan Akins said. “He tries to hide it but he loves to dance. You can tell he loves to dance. It’s the truth.”
“He could very well be cocky, whatever, but he’s not. He’s humble,” said center Nick Martin, who roomed with a rookie Watson during training camp at The Greenbrier in West Virginia.
The Texans reached a high point under Bill O’Brien with a 28-22 victory over the Patriots. Watson (18-of-25, 234 passing yards, four total touchdowns, 140.7 rating) played the sharpest and most efficient game of his three-year career, outdueling Brady when it mattered and leading his team to a 19-point advantage before garbage time settled in.
Watson’s command of the offensive system, ability to retain and quickly dissect information, and all-around leadership skills have continually impressed the Texans. He shines brightest under the biggest lights and is now 6-2 in prime-time games with 2,010 yards, a 68.4 completion percentage, 21 TDs, just three interceptions and a 121.1 rating.
But one of the keys to his NFL ascension, players said, is that the same guy fans and media see is the same guy quietly walking through the locker room or perfecting a new play on the practice field across the street from NRG Stadium.
Since his rookie season, the realness of D4 has allowed Texans players to increasingly connect with and believe in Watson, and the coaching staff to get the best out of his dynamic talents.
“That’s an amazing thing to see. Because you know if you’re hanging out with him outside of football, you get the same thing in football,” said Darren Fells, who has caught a team-high seven TDs this season. “You don’t want that up-and-down mentality, especially coming from one of your key leaders.”
Watson always publicly backed his offensive line in 2018, despite the Texans giving up an NFL-high 62 sacks. When his team has suffered setbacks, he’s opted for optimism.
Teammates said that he rarely, if ever, yells and is only vocal when the moment requires a louder voice.
“He’ll let you know, ‘Come on, pick it up,’ ” Akins said. “But he’ll calm it down real quick. He’ll talk to you. It’s very respectful.”
The Texans’ sixth-year head coach has been known to sometimes raise his voice or employ choice words to make a point.
Watson is best known for his consistent encouragement, positive vibe and openness to creative ideas.
Since 2014, the Texans have been driven by O’Brien’s teamfirst approach. With Watson, athletes in uniform receive another line of direction. Precise and direct … with a confident smile.
“He sees the game through everybody’s eyes,” Akins said. “Like if we run up, sometimes he’ll motion you out of this or do this. He’s very aware, man, his instincts on the field.
“His football IQ is out the roof. It’s very interesting, playing with a lot of quarterbacks growing up, college and high school, I never really played with someone like him.”
Watson leading the huddle? “Poised and smooth, really no matter what the situation,” Martin said. “He really doesn’t change too much and with that, that’s a good thing, because you trust and believe that a play is going to be made.”
Watson’s talent is at the heart of the amazing plays that keep stacking up. Houdini-like scrambles, downfield bombs, sideline darts, sudden sprints. But his teammates said there is a competitive fire constantly burning beneath it all that cannot be ignored.
A play is never dead. A fight is never lost. A game-changing touchdown is just one play away. Watson wants to
His smooth swagger captures these Texans. So does his personal drive to do what the Texans have never done before, which parallels O’Brien’s.
“I’m ready to go to war with anybody like that because I’m a big competitor,” Hyde said. “My quarterback the same way, I’m ready to go. Don’t ever count us out.”
You can’t believe the plays that Watson makes. When a gutsy TD is taken off the board, a brilliant throw and follow-up TD immediately follow.
The Texans see and feel the same.
“Everyone on the sideline, we just look at each other with eyes open,” Reid said. “It’s like, ‘Damn, he did it again.’ ”
As the safety proudly described his quarterback – saying that the lack of a true daily leader can be demoralizing for other teams; that the Texans feel like they can beat anyone in the NFL with the ball in D4’s hands — Watson quietly walked through the locker room, checking his phone and almost going unnoticed.
He was being himself and inspiring his Texans at the same time.
“It doesn’t surprise you anymore,” Martin said. “I mean, it is surprising because it’s just insane the stuff he does. But, like, he can do anything, he really can. He’s proven it time and time again.”