Category: J.J. Watt

Texans defense stepped up in absence of J.J. Watt

The Houston Texans defense found a way to band together while defensive end J.J. Watt was sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle.

With defensive end J.J. Watt, the heart and soul of the Houston Texans defense, seemingly out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle, the unit seemed like a sitting duck.

However, after the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year sustained his injury on Oct. 27, the defense held forth and contributed to the Texans going 5-2 in the absence of Watt.

“It’s a team game. J.J., as good a player as he is, he’s not 11 guys,” defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel told reporters on Dec. 26. “So, when you lose J.J., the rest of the guys have to step up and they understand that it’s a team game and that one guy can’t do it all.”

Without Watt in the lineup, the strength of the Texans’ defense shifted from its pass rush to its coverage. Whereas the Texans have the eighth-fewest sacks in the league with 31, they are tied with the Seattle Seahawks for the sixth-most pass breakups with 73.

“So, if it’s those other guys do what they’re supposed to do and then the unit works well together, then they can be pretty good,” Crennel said. “But if the unit doesn’t work well together, even with J.J., you give up plays. I think our team mentality on the defensive side helps us to be able to win without him.”

Watt has been back at practice, though he has not been placed on the active roster. Crennel is tempering his optimism about the All-Pro defensive end returning, even though Watt is highly confident he will return for the Texans’ wild-card playoff game.

“Well, I hope he comes back,” said Crennel. “He’s out there running around right now. He’s excited about it. If you listen to him, he’s back, but we have to see how he finishes the week, how he does and then the medical people, they’ll make a determination and we’ll go from there.”

If somehow Watt isn’t back, it will be up to the rest of the defense to do their jobs to fill the void same as they have been without Watt in the lineup.

Texans DE J.J. Watt calls return to practice field a nice Christmas present

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt says that returning to the practice field on Christmas Eve is a “nice present” indeed.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt returned to the practice field for the first since tearing his pectoral muscle on Oct. 27 against the Oakland Raiders in a 27-24 win.

While the Texans defense may have fallen for a “trick” during the trick or treat portion of Halloween, the club got a magnificent holiday present when Watt returned to practice on Christmas Eve for the first time since sustaining the injury.

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year considers the return quite the Christmas gift, too.

“Just to get back on the practice field for Christmas Eve, it’s exciting and it’s a nice present,” Watt told reporters Tuesday. “They told me a couple of weeks ago that we were eyeing right around Christmas Eve, Christmas Day for when I could start doing this type of stuff. I’ve been kind of optimistically hoping for it ever since.”

On Dec. 1, reports surfaced that Watt might be able to return to the Texans if they qualified for the playoffs. As the Texans were about to face the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football later that day, it seemed like a pipe dream. However, those hopes were buoyed by a 28-22 win, the second such win over the Patriots in club history and the first for coach Bill O’Brien, a former Bill Belichick assistant.

“It’s come, and I think the whole time, the belief that this would be possible played a huge part in my rehab,” said Watt. “Just the ability to know that there is a chance of it happening, and so I’m really excited.”

 As far as where returning to practice after sustaining a supposed season-ending injury ranks, the former 2011 first-round pick could only look back on the charmed life he has led

“It’s up there, but I’m lucky,” Watt said. “I’m a very fortunate guy, I live a very fortunate life and I’m very thankful to have all the great things that I do in my life.”

Texans DE J.J. Watt didn’t have any pain when he tore his pectoral muscle against the Raiders

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt says that he did not feel any pain when he tore his pectoral muscle against the Oakland Raiders in Week 8.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt tore his pectoral muscle shortly before halftime against the Oakland Raiders in a 27-24 win on Oct. 27 at NRG Stadium.

Unlike outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus, who tore his pectoral muscle on Oct. 8, 2017, in a 42-34 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and said he heard a loud pop, Watt claims to have not felt any sensation immediately.

“I didn’t have any pain whatsoever when it happened,” Watt told reporters Tuesday. “I didn’t have any. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t have any pain, I think it was just such a fast thing.”

When Watt’s play wasn’t producing the same high level of results that he’s accustomed to throughout his nine-year career that has garnered a record-tying three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, that is when he knew something was off with his play.

“I knew something was wrong, I kind of — I didn’t know what was wrong and then I tried to play the next play and realized something was pretty wrong,” Watt explained. “Then I went over and they told me what it was, they knew right away. But yeah, they just put it back on and then two months later, here we go.”

Watt returned to practice on Tuesday and the club is in the process of activating him from injured reserve, using their last designated to return tags to do so. Watt can’t play in the Week 17 finale against the Tennessee Titans at 3:25 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium, as he has to miss eight full weeks from the time he was placed on injured reserve. However, the club has a 21-day window to place him on the active roster with a deadline of 3:00 p.m. CT on game day of the AFC wild-card to be played on Jan. 4-5 at NRG Stadium.

Texans fans were the driving force behind J.J. Watt’s quick recovery

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt made his recovery back from a torn pectoral on Tuesday. What’s his mental state after doing so?

J.J. Watt is back from his torn pectoral. Two months after suffering the once-thought-to-be season-ending injury, the Houston Texans defensive end is practicing and primed to play in the postseason.

What’s Watt’s mental state after surprisingly coming back from injury?

“I’m excited,” Watt said on Tuesday. “I’m excited to play football, I’m excited to get back out there and hopefully get back on the field in front of the fans. I love the fans, I’m excited. The fans are a big part of the reason that I want to be out there and I’ve worked so hard to come back. It’s because I love these fans, I love this city and I want nothing more than to win for these people. So, that’s why every single day, when you’re going through rehab, when you’re going through difficult times, when you’re going through tough situations.”

For Watt, the focal point and driving force of his recovery are the fans. That should come as no surprise, of course, considering his public love for them, from playing catch before games with them to raising millions of dollars to support them after Hurricane Harvey struck Houston. His teammates and family are fudge on top of the sundae.

“Some days you don’t feel like doing it, some days it’s very tough,” Watt said. “What gets you through is your teammates and your family and the fans, and knowing that when you do get back on that field, you’re doing it for people that you care about and that you love. You want to do it so that you can give them something to be proud of. Every day that I’ve had a tough day in my rehab, that’s what I’ve thought about.”

Watt’s not doing it for the fans’ viewing pleasure alone. He wants to bring a Super Bowl to Houston. With the Texans in the playoffs, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has the chance to do so.

“Running back out of that tunnel, playing in front of those fans with my teammates and being able to do for them what I’ve wanted to do since the day I got here and that’s win,” Watt said. “That’s what I’m trying to do. That’s why after two months, I’m coming back because that’s what I want to accomplish. I want to win for these people.

“So is there an element of risk? Yes. But is the upside 100 times better? Yes. Because there’s nothing I want to do more than to win with these guys in the locker room, for these fans here in Houston, because I love them and I love the game.”

The city of Houston has not had their NFL team play in the AFC Championship game since the 1979 season when the Houston Oilers fell short to the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-13. Watt’s Texans would have a similarly special place in the hearts of Houston sports fans if they could get into the NFL’s final four or beyond this postseason.

Texans DE J.J. Watt will wear a harness to protect re-injury of torn pectoral

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt will wear a harness to prevent re-injury of his torn pectoral muscle. He returned to practice on Tuesday.

J.J. Watt is back. Two months after tearing his pectoral against the Oakland Raiders, the Houston Texans defensive end is recovered and ready to rock and all. He returned to practice on Tuesday, Christmas Eve.

In coming back from the injury, Watt has defied all expectations. Often, the recovery time for a torn pectoral lasts three to four months. Not for Watt.

Though back from the often season-ending injury, Watt will not be without accessories. He will wear a harness that will stop him from going an extreme length backward, but it will not hinder his normal range of motion.

“Yeah, I’ll have some protection on it just to protect me from going to the true extreme lengths backwards, but I’ll have full forward and upward motion available,” Watt said on Tuesday. “I’ve been wearing the harness for the last couple of weeks while I’ve been training and practicing and practicing off on my own so it doesn’t really bother me at all.”

The harness Watt will don is in-place to prevent re-injury, which is likelier to happen considering how quickly he is set to play. When he was injured making a tackle on Raiders tailback Josh Jacobs, his arm went all the way back. The harness will stop that.

Watt wears a bulky brace on his left elbow. He suffered an elbow dislocation in August of 2012.

Though now protected from re-injury, Watt will not play in Week 17 against the Tennessee Titans. A player on the injured reserve has to miss at least eight games. The Texans star defensive end missed seven. His return will probably take place in the first round of the playoffs.

Watt will give the Texans a massive boost in the pass rush department. Before the injury, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year recorded four sacks, 20 quarterback hits and 24 quarterback pressures.

J.J. Watt experiences pleasure and pain watching the Texans from the sidelines

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt has to balance the joy of watching his teammates succeed with the agony of not being able to help them.

J.J. Watt left the Houston Texans in good position with a 5-3 record when he tore his pectoral muscle in a 27-24 win over the Oakland Raiders on Oct. 27.

In the seven games since, the Texans have compiled a 5-2 record and won the AFC South for the sixth time in franchise history, fourth time in five seasons, and also for the second straight year.

To miss out on a 26-3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, see them get creamed 41-7 in Baltimore by the Ravens, and not be on the field for the 28-22 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football at NRG Stadium has been a combination of agony and excitement for the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

“It’s tough to watch, but it’s also fun for me to watch, because I love these guys,” Watt told reporters Tuesday. “I mean, I love watching them play, I love watching them compete. I love when somebody makes a big play. I’m probably cheering louder than anybody else out there on my couch when we’re on the road and when we’re on the sideline at home. I get so excited.”

Part of what keeps Watt stoked about the Texans, even though he hasn’t been able to materially affect the on-field product, is the connection he has to the locker room.

“I truly love the locker room,” said Watt. “I truly love the guys and being around it. So, for me to watch it and to be able to take joy in their success is a lot of fun.”

Watt will have a chance to partake in the Texans’ success on the field as the club activated the All-Pro defensive end from injured reserve on Tuesday. Though Watt has 96.0 career sacks, he is hoping to add to his 5.0 postseason sack total en route to the Texans’ first playoff win since Jan. 7, 2017, over the Raiders at NRG Stadium.

J.J. Watt is certain Texans coaches will have a good plan for his return in the playoffs

DE J.J. Watt is confident the Houston Texans coaching staff will have a good plan in place to facilitate an effective return for the playoffs.

Defensive end J.J. Watt does not know what his return will look like when he takes the field for the Houston Texans in their inevitable wild-card game during the weekend of Jan. 4-5. However, he is confident in the plan the coaches devise when the playoff game arrives.

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year believes that the next two weeks of practice will determine how ready he is and how many plays he can handle to be an effective contributor for the Texans defense.

“I’m sure it’s not going to be an every play type of thing, just for the first one back,” Watt told reporters Tuesday. “don’t think that would be the best situation, but we’ll see how it feels over the next two weeks and get a gauge for it before we go into that game and I’m sure we’ll have a good plan going in.”

Watt produced 24 tackles, 4.0 sacks, four tackles for loss, three pass deflections, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in his eight starts before sustain a torn pectoral muscle that seemingly knocked him out for the season. Now, Watt is eyeing a comeback to help the AFC South champions win a playoff game for the first time since Jan. 7, 2017 in the AFC wild-card against the Raiders.

What excites Watt about a return is the way the Texans have been playing en route to their 10-5 record.

Said Watt: “We’ve found ways to win, you find ways to win football games, and I’m excited to get back out there and to help in any way I can, obviously get after the passer. That’s always my number one goal is find the football, get the football, so that’s what I’m going to continue to do and that’s what I’m hoping to get back out there and help these guys do is get after the quarterback.”

The Texans’ defense has generated 31 sacks on the season, the eighth-lowest in the NFL. Only the Seattle Seahawks, with their third-lowest 26, join Houston as playoff teams in the bottom-10 of that category. Having Watt back to help with the pass rush may be the secret sauce to help the Texans go deep into the postseason.

How was Texans DE J.J. Watt able to avoid negativity from spoiling his playoff comeback?

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt surrounded himself with positive, uplifting people, and that helped him believe he could make a comeback.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt tore his pectoral muscle on Oct. 27 in a 27-24 win over the Oakland Raiders. The injury is one that is season-ending; ask outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus.

However, Watt never let the reality of the injury nor the negativity of having a third season of the last four end in injury affect his attempt at a comeback for the playoffs.

“I’m a much different person mentally now than when I came into the league,” Watt told reporters Tuesday. “So you learn from things and you grow from things. You don’t let it get you down. I think that’s played a huge part in this one, just the positive attitude, positive people around me. Surrounding yourself with people who will lift you up in difficult times and will propel you towards the goals you want to achieve. I think that I’ve had that the whole time.”

However, it wasn’t just positive words from his fiancée Kealia Ohai, his family, or his teammates that helped him believe in the comeback. Watt also had to give himself positive words to generate the belief that he could execute a return for the postseason.

“Positive self-talk can make such a difference in your life and I think that’s helped me a lot throughout these injuries, and this one especially,” said Watt. “Just the belief that you can accomplish something really does make a difference and you kind of manifest it into reality and I think that’s definitely helped in this case.”

The Texans could use a case of that positive self-talk as they embark on a playoff run that will begin in the wild-card round. Since 1990, just 28 of the 116 wild-card round winners ended up winning in the divisional round of the playoffs, let alone making the Super Bowl. However, getting Watt back might be the catalyst Houston needs to make such an improbable journey.

The internet ruined J.J. Watt’s surprise for Texans teammates that he was coming back

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt says the internet informed his teammate of his return from injured reserve before he could.

Blame the internet.

J.J. Watt was keeping quiet the surprise that he was going to come back from injured reserve, but the internet and social media managed to inform his Houston Texans teammates before he had a chance on Tuesday before practice.

“There were a couple of them that found out from the internet today,” Watt told reporters Tuesday. “You never want to over-promise and under-deliver, so I think this whole time I’ve never wanted to promise anything to anybody.”

Of course, even if the golden age of typewriters and print journalism, Watt’s teammates would have found out because their own eyes of what the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year was doing around the building with his rehabilitation would lead them to believe he was making progress, no matter how quiet he tried to keep it.

“I just wanted to promise that I was going to work hard every single day for the possibility of coming back and that’s all I’ve done,” said Watt. “And I’m not promising anything today. All I’m promising is that I’m going back out on the practice field today and I get the opportunity to be back with my team and to work towards that first playoff game.”

Watt produced 24 tackles, 4.0 sacks, four tackles for loss, three pass breakups, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in his eight starts until tearing his pectoral muscle on Oct. 27 in a 27-24 win over the Oakland Raiders. Initially, it appeared that Watt’s season was over. However, tremendous progress after his surgery along with a low risk of re-injury and rehabilitation affecting his 2020 offseason compared to the high reward of helping Houston further into the postseason was too rich of an opportunity to pass up.

“I’m very thankful and grateful for the opportunity to be back on the field because this is the game I love and this is the opportunity that I love,” said Watt.

The Texans finish up the 2017 regular season with a Week 17 rematch with the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. Houston will play wild-card weekend, Jan. 4-5, with opponent, day, and time announced at halftime of the Sunday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.

Texans DE J.J. Watt knows the risk he undertakes returning with a torn pectoral muscle

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is well aware of the risks in returning two months after tearing his pectoral muscle.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt tore his pectoral muscle on Oct. 27 in a 27-24 win over the Oakland Raiders at NRG Stadium. His season was over, and now it was going to be another long road of offseason rehabilitation to get ready for his 10th professional season.

However, the recovery from that surgery progressed better than he expected. Normally, it takes three months to return to form from such an injury and procedure, but Watt was feeling better after two months. Nonetheless, there is an element of risk involved coming back from injury so soon.

“When I discuss the element of risk, I mean there’s two options: it’s going to hold up or it’s not,” Watt told reporters Tuesday. “That’s basically the way she goes, and the reason that I’m comfortable with that risk is because I know the consequences of that risk.”

Reports surfaced on Dec. 1 that the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year could make a comeback if the Texans reached the playoffs. Rules wise, it was possible given the fact the Texans still had a remaining designation to return for a player on injured reserve. Houston brought back Watt on Tuesday.

If the former 2011 first-round pick can’t hold up in the Texans’ wild-card playoff game at NRG Stadium during the weekend of Jan. 4-5, he will not have lost time in the offseason to rehab and get ready for 2020.

Said Watt: “It’s the exact same procedure, its three months recovery and we’re back in action. But I do feel very confident from what we’ve done in the weight room, from what we’ve done ballistically training, to where the strength level is compared to where it was before the injury. I’m very confident in the way that it has reacted.”

Unlike Watt’s herniated disc that ended his 2016 season and his tibial plateau fracture that cut short his 2017 season, the torn pectoral has no affect on his ability to run or take part in agility or position drills, which means he should be able to contribute immediately for Houston.

“The nice thing about this surgery was that this whole time I’ve been able to run, I’ve been able to work out my legs, I’ve been able to do agility drills, position drills,” said Watt. “So that has been a huge help both mentally and physically for this recovery. So I’m really excited about what I’m going to be able to do and to get out there and help the boys.”

Before the Texans can get to the playoffs, they have to finish off the regular season with a Week 17 rematch with the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. While a win secures the No. 6 seed for the Titans, the outcome has no material impact on the Texans’ ability to get out of wild-card weekend and achieve a first-round bye.

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