Watt’s return to elite status now complete
Busting through blocks to repeatedly slam New York Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold to the ground, defensive end J.J. Watt helped boost the Texans to a victory.
Without Watt’s powerful contributions to contain Darnold in the fourth quarter, the Texans may not have been able to pull out a 29-22 road win.
Watt recorded two sacks, two tackles for losses and one forced fumble, serving notice once more that he’s back to his old form after being plagued by serious injuries the previous two seasons. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time Tuesday, marking the first time he’d earned that honor since the 2015 season.
Watt is tied for second in the NFL with 14½ sacks, tied for first in the AFC with 17 tackles for losses and tied for first overall with six forced fumbles.
It all looks like vintage Watt to Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson. And Watt’s resurgent season after being sidelined with a broken leg doesn’t come as a surprise to Pederson.
“I’m not,” Pederson said during a conference call Wednesday in advance of Sunday’s game against the Texans at Lincoln Financial Field. “This guy, he’s a tremendous defensive player. I totally respect him as a player and what he’s accomplished in this league. His first-step quickness and then his little swim move that he can do — his armover move — is as quick as anything as we’ve seen all season.
“He’s a load. He lines up anywhere, inside and outside, left and right. We’ve got to account for him. So a lot of respect for him. I just love the way he plays. He plays hard every snap, and that’s what you can appreciate about him.”
Five years ago, Pederson was the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator and he had a similar take on the dominance of Watt.
Watt is the NFL’s all-time leader with 0.89 sacks per game, ranking him ahead of the late Hall of Fame defensive end Reggie White (0.85) and Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller (0.83). Watt has 90½ career sacks in 102 career games and has been giving Pederson fits for years.
“He’s a special player,” Pederson said of Watt prior to a 2013 game. “He gets a lot of respect around the National Football League. I love his effort; he’s a tenacious guy. He has a lot of different weapons and moves in his arsenal.”
Watt has thrust himself into the conversation for a fourth NFL Defensive Player of the Year crown. He’s tied with Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor for the most in NFL history.
Limited to a combined eight games and 1½ sacks the previous two seasons due to a broken leg and a herniated disk that required two surgeries, Watt has steamrolled offensive linemen this year and started every game.
Watt, who has 54 tackles and 24 quarterback hits, is competing with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck for NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
It has been an epic return for Watt, who has overcome a painful injury to regain his position as one of the best defensive players in the game.
“It’s hard to put into words what he’s been able to do coming back from the injuries that he’s had,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “You think about the injuries that he’s had and the work that goes into rehabbing, the mindset that you have to have.
“Especially at the position that he plays, the offseason work, his own ability to drive himself to get back to the top of his game, which is obviously elite. He’s a great player. We’re very fortunate to have him on our team.”
As well as Watt has played, the NFL’s annual all-star game Jan. 27 in Orlando, Fla., isn’t on his radar.
Watt is hoping the Texans make a serious, unprecedented playoff run and are competing for a chance to go to the Super Bowl late next month instead of going to the Pro Bowl.
“It’s an honor, but I’m focused on the Eagles and much more,” Watt said. “The Pro Bowl’s kind of, you look at some of the guys around the league that maybe shouldn’t have made it and did, and stuff like that. I just want to win football games.”
The Texans rank 14th in defense, allowing 346.6 yards per game. They’re 10th against the run, but have looked increasingly vulnerable against the pass in recent weeks in a loss to the Colts and in the win over the Jets. They rank 26th overall against the pass.
“It really doesn’t matter how you win, you just have to win,” Watt said. “After this week’s game, we’ve kind of heard it all year. We won, I don’t care. I don’t care how we win, I just want to win.
“I don’t care if people think it’s pretty. I don’t care if they like it, if they don’t like it, I just want to win. I really do not care how we win.”