JENNY DIAL CREECH
Watson and Hopkins are spectacular, but offense must give them help for a playoff run
Playoff success will require offensive help for Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins.
A blue and white ball cap reading “AFC South Champions” in bold letters sat atop DeAndre Hopkins’ head.
The receiver was fresh off another outstanding performance — 12 catches for 147 yards — as the Texans defeated Jacksonville 20-3.
With the win, they clinched the division title and finished the regular season 11-5.
Hopkins — the most dynamic receiver in the game right now — had a lot to do with his team’s success. Without him, there’s no chance the Texans could have turned around their 0-3 start and finished as a team with a shot at making a run in the playoffs.
There are two ways to look at the fact he and quarterback Deshaun Watson have consistently been the bright spots for the Texans’ offense:
1) The Texans have two of the top offensive stars in the NFL.
2) The Texans have only two consistent offensive weapons.
If they are going to make some noise in the playoffs, the Texans need to add to their two-man show.
Something’s got to give with their ongoing offensive line woes. Watson needs protection and time to be the playmaker he can be.
The running game needs to be established early and excel often.
And Watson needs as many targets as possible.
The Texans’ offense is going to have to be better if they want to get past the tough postseason competition ahead of them. They can get one more win the way things are, but beyond that, the chances get dicey.
Watson continues to be incredible, living up to all the hype he brought with him when he was drafted two years ago. On Sunday, he became the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 4,000 yards with 25 touchdowns while also rushing for 500 yards and five touchdowns in a single season. He’s also the only Texans quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in a season.
Watson led the Texans in rushing Sunday with 13 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown. He also completed 25 of 35 passes for 234 yards.
That’s all well and good, but Watson also was sacked six times, bringing his season total to 62. He’s the first quarterback since 2006 to suffer as many as 60 sacks.
Since the beginning of the season, Watson has taken a beating in nearly every game. The last time Watson played Jacksonville, he had to take a bus to get there because he’d been beaten up so badly in previous games that he couldn’t fly.
The Texans have to figure out a way to protect him. Sadly, any answers have been slow in coming.
“He’s getting hit too much. We’ve gotta figure that out,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “It’s taking us forever to figure it out. But we will keep trying.”
Part of the reason Watson is being hit too much is because he does so much. He is a natural playmaker. When the Texans can’t throw — which was an issue against Jacksonville — Watson is capable of making plays with his legs. For the fourth consecutive game, he was the Texans’ leading rusher.
O’Brien said he wouldn’t get into the “schematics” of why Watson was carrying the ball so much.
“It was hard to throw the ball today,” O’Brien said.
Fortunately, a running game that had been largely ineffective in recent weeks made some progress on Sunday.
Lamar Miller was back after battling an ankle injury and carried the ball 17 times for 56 yards. After the game, he said he felt good.
Miller is a quality back, and the Texans will need him and Alfred Blue to establish a solid running game in the postseason.
“It’s very important,” Miller said. “Just being a more balanced offense, keeping the defense on their toes. We have to come in and make some corrections.”
When the run game is working, the passing game opens up. Watson will (and should) keep targeting Hopkins, who can catch anything.
But being able to find slot receivers and tight ends will help the Texans tremendously. Watson needs time and protection to do that.
The offensive line, decent at times this year but never great, won’t suddenly become amazing by next week. But it does have to be better.
Watson is exceptional. Hopkins is as good as it gets. But the two can’t win a playoff game by themselves. The Texans need more on offense.
A few more options, a few more consistent playmakers, a few more seconds for Watson in the pocket would elevate the Texans from good to great.
Imagine Watson and Hopkins plus an effective run game plus other receivers who kept opposing defenses off-balance. The Texans have been able to accomplish all of this in spurts this season. If they could make it a regular occurrence, they’d be an easy pick in the playoffs.
Sunday’s celebration was warranted. The Texans can hold their heads high for winning 11 of their last 13 games and capturing their third division title in four seasons.
But it only gets tougher from here, and without some offensive improvement, the Texans won’t hang around in the postseason for long.