Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish receiver Will Fuller returned to the field for the Houston Texans after missing about a month with a hamstring injury, and the speedy deep threat picked up right where he left off.
Fuller hauled in seven receptions (on 11 targets) for 140 yards, including a 51-yard gain, helping lead the Texans to a narrow 20-17 victory over the Colts on Thursday Night Football.
What a THROW.
What a CATCH.@Will_Fuller7 | #INDvsHOU pic.twitter.com/iw46ANQw7k— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 22, 2019
The 51-yard gain travelled 59.4 yards in the air, the third-longest throw by air yards of the NFL season, according to Next Gen Stats
Deshaun Watson-Will Fuller 51-yard completion is the 3rd-longest by air distance this season (59.4 yards).
Fuller has been key to the Texans deep passing game. Watson throws deep more than twice as often when Fuller is on the field (ON: 18% | OFF: 8%).#INDvsHOU | #WeAreTexans pic.twitter.com/UW7Ay9S7PS
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 22, 2019
Fuller now has 41 receptions for 590 yards and three touchdowns through eight games this season, and has proven himself a crucial piece of Houston’s offense.
In fact, quarterback Deshaun Watson is much more dangerous with Fuller in the mix. He averages 62.5 more passing yards per game and 1.1 more passing touchdowns per game when Fuller is healthy and on the field.
When Will Fuller plays, Deshaun Watson averages 62.5 more pass YPG and 1.1 more pass TD/game than when he does not play pic.twitter.com/z5Ch51Ir3I
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) November 22, 2019
Fuller was a beast at Notre Dame, hauling in 144 receptions for 2,512 yards and 30 touchdowns in three seasons before Houston made him a first round pick in 2016.
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