Watson fondly remembers Tampa
HOUSTON — When Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson enters Raymond James Stadium on Saturday to play Tampa Bay, he’ll take a trip down memory lane and remember the biggest game of his career.
On Jan. 9, 2017, Watson led Clemson in a second consecutive national championship game against Alabama. Watson helped the Tigers get revenge when he threw a game-winning, 2yard touchdown pass to receiver Hunter Renfrow with one second left in a 35-31 victory.
“It’ll bring back a lot of memories for sure,” Watson said after practice Tuesday. “Playing for a championship, that’s the biggest thing. It’s a cool stadium and a cool environment. The right corner, down by the tunnel, I’ll revisit it, for sure.”
That’s where Watson threw his pass to Renfrow that gave Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide their only loss of the season.
Watching Watson’s extraordinary performance — 36-of-56 for 420 yards and three touchdowns without an interception — a few rows behind the Clemson bench was Rick Smith, the Texans’ general manager.
Smith was so impressed on his scouting trip to Tampa that 3½ months later, he traded up 13 spots in the first round to select Watson with the 12th overall pick. It turned out to be the best trade in team history.
Looking back on his game-winning touchdown pass and the Tigers’ earning the national championship, Watson learned something that continues to serve him well as he prepares for a return to Tampa and a chance to clinch a second consecutive AFC South title and the Texans’ fourth in five years.
“I think the biggest thing was to just play the next play,” Watson said. “Whenever the next opportunity comes, be locked in and 100 percent focused and ready for that moment. And that moment came, and we capitalized on it.”
And now Watson and his teammates would like to capitalize on the next big moment against the Buccaneers, who have a fourgame winning streak and a red-hot Jameis Winston — the first NFL quarterback to throw for at least 450 yards in back-to-back games.
Winston achieved that milestone against Indianapolis (38-35) and Detroit (3817) with his best receiver, Mike Evans (67 catches, 1,157 yards, eight touchdowns), catching one pass against the Colts before being lost for the season with a hamstring injury.
Then, in the victory over the Lions, the Bucs’ leading receiver, Chris Godwin (86 catches, 1,333 yards, nine touchdowns) also suffered a hamstring injury that also ended his season.
“Jameis is putting up a lot of yards,” Watson said. “He’s a great quarterback. For him to do that with his top receivers down, that’s a great accomplishment.
“Regardless of who’s on the field, he’s going to ball. He has the confidence that when he steps on the field, he’s going to make plays. He’s going to play hard and take his chances, and if he makes mistakes, he’ll turn those mistakes into positives.”
Winston wasn’t the only quarterback making history Sunday. Watson threw two touchdown passes in the 2421 victory at Tennessee, giving him 26 and tying his career high set last year. He’s the first quarterback to throw at least 25 touchdown passes and run for at least five touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
With so much at stake against the Buccaneers, Watson’s not thinking about making league history. He’s thinking about Tampa Bay’s four-game winning streak and trying to figure out how to defeat the Buccaneers before a rematch against the Titans at NRG Stadium.
“Our main focus is taking care of business Saturday,” he said. “We talked about it (winning and clinching the division title) as a team. We have to make sure we come out ready to play.
“You can’t look past these guys or take them for granted. They’re winning and playing with a lot of confidence.”
The last thing the Texans can afford is another performance like the 38-24 home loss to Denver. They need effort and focus like they showed against the Titans. They want to close the season with a three-game winning streak, finish 11-5 and enter the playoffs with momentum.
“With us putting ourselves in position to play meaningful games, that’s why you play football,” Watson said. “In professional ball, it’s really December, January and February.
“If you’re in the hunt like we are, every game’s a lot more fun. You prep a little longer and go a little harder. It’s definitely a fun time.”