To coach, the eye has it for Watson highlight
In the pantheon of Deshaun Watson moments, how the Texans’ quarterback absorbed three big collisions and managed to deliver a strike to Taiwan Jones to position his team for an overtime playoff win Saturday ranks extremely high.
In coach Bill O’Brien’s estimation, though, it doesn’t trump what Watson did during an October win over the Raiders. Watson got kicked in the eye by defensive end Arden Key, grabbed his eye and had the presence of mind and toughness to keep rolling out to throw a touchdown pass to tight end Darren Fells. Watson’s eye was bloodshot for weeks.
O’Brien’s 14-year-old son, Michael, asked the coach Sunday night where he would rank the latest Watson heroics.
“I’m very lucky. I’ve seen some incredible plays, and that was an incredible play,” O’Brien said. “But I think that when you get kicked in the eye and you still are able to complete a touchdown pass, I’m not sure that you can surpass that. When he got kicked in the eye against Oakland and he grabbed his eye and he really didn’t know what was going on with his eye and he kept the play alive to complete a pass, that was a pretty cool play.”
Watching from the sideline, O’Brien underwent the gamut of emotions watching the danger his star quarterback was under.
“It’s exactly like this: ‘Throw it away! Throw it away!’ and then, ‘Oh, great play, great play,’ O’Brien said. “It’s like, ‘Get rid of it!’ I was like, ‘Look out!’ When you’re yelling ‘look out,’ it’s not good, it’s probably not a good thing. But yeah, you got a player like Deshaun, it’s like I’ve said a lot, it’s all about the players. It’s a players’ league.”
Pass protection a key against Chiefs
Quarterback Deshaun Watson was sacked seven times and hit a dozen times, taking some huge shots on blitzes in Saturday’s win over Buffalo.
Left tackle Laremy Tunsil allowed six pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, with three sacks attributed to Watson and another to tight end Darren Fells.
Heading into Sunday’s divisional playoff against Kansas City, the pass protection needs to be upgraded significantly.
“We’ve got to do a much better job,” Bill O’Brien said. “Everybody’s involved. Deshaun’s involved. It’s not one guy. It’s not one position. We all have to a better job. We have to have a really good week. The Chiefs do a lot of things you have to be ready for.”
It gets more difficult with the Chiefs having standout defensive tackle Chris Jones back from an injury that sidelined him for their loss during the regular season to the Texans. Jones is one of the top interior pass rushers in the NFL, recording nine sacks.
“He’s very disruptive, a very difficult challenge on the inside,” O’Brien said. “Plays great against the run, plays great against the pass, pushes the pocket, has got good pass rush moves.”
Fuller’s status being monitored this week
Injured Texans wide receiver Will Fuller’s heath will bear watching all week.
When Fuller is in the lineup, he provides a dangerous deep threat that stretches defenses. However, Fuller missed five games in the regular season with hamstring and groin injuries and the Texans’ wild-card playoff win.
“I know he’s progressing in the right direction and I know he’s doing better,” Bill O’Brien said. “But I’m not sure that I’d be able to sit up here and tell you that, ‘Yeah, he’s all the way back.’
O’Brien was encouraged that Fuller ran around a bit and caught passes during warm-ups last Saturday, but he was noncommittal on if he’ll be able to return against the Chiefs from the groin injury.
“Any time you’re able to get out there and move around like that and cut and not just run straight ahead, I think is a good thing,” O’Brien said. “But there’s another few stages here we have to pass for me to be able to say he’d be ready to play.”
Meanwhile, O’Brien said that veteran cornerback Johnathan Joseph is still hurt. Joseph was out for the Bills game with a strained hamstring. Joseph has previously been replaced as a starter, though.
“I think he’s doing better, but he was not a healthy scratch,” O’Brien said. “He’s dealing with some things.”
Safety Jahleel Addae, starting with Tashaun Gipson out for the season, has an Achilles injury and is limping around. Addae is day-to-day. If he can’t go, Mike Adams would likely start in his place.
“Jahleel is a tough guy,” O’Brien said. “He’s going to do everything he can to continue to progress, but, this time of the year, everybody’s pretty banged up.”
Bellamy signed to practice squad
The Texans have signed outside linebacker Davin Bellamy to the practice squad.
Bellamy was previously with the Texans after going undrafted out of Georgia and is a developmental pass rusher.
“Glad to be back,” Bellamy said.
The 6-5, 245-pounder was with the Cincinnati Bengals on their practice squad this season. Bellamy declined an offer to sign a reserve-future deal with the Bengals, opting instead to rejoin the Texans.