Buffalo Bills cornerback Kevin Johnson spent four seasons with the Houston Texans as he was their former 2015 first-round pick. Of course, he would have knowledge on his old team.
However, his old quarterback had knowledge on him, and it came into play on the 34-yard pass to running back Taiwan Jones that setup Ka’imi Fairbairn’s game-winning 28-yard field goal in overtime of the AFC wild-card Saturday evening at NRG Stadium.
“I knew it was blitz 0,” Watson told Lisa Salters of ESPN after the game. “I checked the play. Kevin Johnson was here last year, so he knew the signal, seen him bail, and I just told myself to stay up.”
Watson shed two would-be sacks from Bills defenders and scrambled out to his right where he found Jones, whose 34-yard reception was more to do with his yards after the catch than Watson’s air yards.
Nonetheless, they would not have been possible if the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback had not stayed upright.
“It’s do or die right now, and all the work I put in in the offseason, I just had to make a play,” said Watson.
According to the former 2017 first-round draft pick from Clemson, he left little cards in the lockers of his teammates prior to the playoff game. On each card it said, “Let’s be great today.”
Said Watson: “So, somebody had to be great today. Why not me?”
Watson finished completing 20-of-25 for 247 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed 14 times for 55 yards and a score.
Because of Watson’s efforts to be great against the Bills, the Texans are in the divisional round of the playoffs for the fourth time in franchise history. The results of the Tennessee Titans versus New England Patriots wild-card bout on Saturday night determine whether the Texans travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens or go to Kansas City to play the Chiefs.