Tag: Deshaun Watson

Patriots’ Tom Brady says QB Deshaun Watson is a ‘great leader’ for the Texans

The New England Patriots face the Houston Texans on Sunday. Before so, Tom Brady lauds Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is very familiar with.

Tom Brady has played his fair share of Houston Texans quarterbacks, from David Carr to Matt Schaub to Case Keenum, he has seen them all, including their most promising one, Deshaun Watson.

Watson, 24, will face Brady’s New England Patriots for the third time in as many seasons Sunday night at 7:20 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium. The two quarterbacks, despite an 18-year age difference, keep in contact, in large part because Watson idolizes him; on the flip side, Brady respects Watson.

Brady’s interest in Watson did not start in the pros. Like many, he was lured in by the dual threat’s college days, where he took Clemson to back-to-back College Football Playoff national championship games against Alabama, winning one at the end of the 2016 season.

“Watching him play in college, he’s spectacular, and he’s off to a great start in his pro career,” Brady told reporters Friday.

From Clemson to Houston, Watson’s spectacular abilities have translated. In 33 career starts, he is 21-12, posting a career 103.2 passer rating in the process.

“So, really love watching him play,” continued Brady. “He’s a great leader for their team and he’s hard to stop. He’s got a great arm, escapes. They have a lot of playmakers, so it’s a very good offense.”

Watson has his Texans at 7-4. He has thrown for 2,899 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions on a 69% completion rate on the season, also rushing in five scores.

Meanwhile, Brady’s Patriots are humming at 10-1. The all-time great does not boast the statistical prowess that Watson does in 2019, passing for 2,942 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions on a 62.2% completion rate while sneaking in three touchdowns on the ground.

Though he has admiration for Watson, Brady has yet to lose to the Texans quarterback, beating him 36-33 in Week 3 of 2017 and 27-20 in Week 1 of 2018. On Sunday night, Watson will have another chance to do so, with the Texans hosting New England for the first time since 2015.

Texans and Patriots vary greatly from their 2018 matchup

Sunday’s matchup between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots may be between familiar opponents, but the faces aren’t the same.

448 days will separate the New England Patriots’ last win over the Houston Texans and Bill O’Brien’s latest attempt to best his former boss, Bill Belichick.

On Sunday night, the 7-4 Texans host the 10-1 Patriots at NRG Stadium. A numerical value can’t do justice of the change made in 448 days.

The Patriots won a Super Bowl, saw the retirement of Rob Gronkowski come, had a cup of coffee with Antonio Brown, and got off to a 10-1 start to the 2019 season.

The Texans lost a wild-card game at home, fired their general manager, the week before mandatory minicamp, executed multiple season-altering trades, saw J.J. Watt end another season prematurely, and got off to a 7-4 start.

“I think every year we’ve evolved, we’ve had different players,” said O’Brien on Wednesday. “This year with Kenny (Stills) in there and (Darren) Fells and Carlos Hyde and Duke (Johnson), we’re a totally different team — Laremy Tunsil, Max Scharping, Tytus Howard, guys like that.”

Through a series of maneuvers, the Texans have surrounded their quarterback with a promising offense line and a thunder-and-lightning rush attack.

The culmination of their efforts: the NFL’s 10th-ranked scoring offense (24.1 ppg), seventh-ranked yardage offense (381.6 ypg) and ninth-ranked pass-blocking offensive line, in terms of ESPN‘s Pass Rush Win Rate metric (61%).

The Patriots remain the same vaunted opponent, achieving excellence on the offensive, defense and special-team sides despite numerous personnel alterations.

“We’re just a different team. I think every year is different,” continued O’Brien. “I think that relative to what we do this year relative to what we’ve done in the past, I think there’s some carryover, there’s some things that we do that we just really believe in, and then there’s other things that are new.”

Houston’s offense still runs through No. 4, Deshaun Watson. New England’s, No. 12, Tom Brady. However, those around the two quarterbacks aren’t all what they were 448 days ago.

Brady’s Patriots 10-1 record runs through their defense, which allows a top-ranked 10.6 points per game. The offense, after much turnaround, is going through growing pains, yet remains efficient. The Josh McDaniels offense is tenth in Football Outsiders‘ DVOA metric (6%).

The Texans offense is inconsistent, yet explosive; at times, unstoppable when healthy. They are healthy. No offensive starter is slated to miss Sunday night’s prime time bout.

Replacing Sammie Coates, Vyncint Smith, Bruce Ellington, Lamar Miller, Alfred Blue and Ryan Griffin from Houston’s 2018 Week 1 27-20 loss to New England is Will Fuller, Kenny Stills, Keke Coutee, Carlos Hyde, Duke Johnson and Darren Fells. A massive boost in productivity.

For the Patriots, there is no longer a premier No. 1 wide-out or tight end to carry the brunt of the workload. Instead, it goes through Julian Edelman and James White on the passing ends. The run game is propped up by Sony Michel, who is yet to face the Texans.

Brady still has weapons. However, they aren’t the world-beating talent that they once were. His offensive line isn’t, either, as they are 26th in ESPN’s PBWR (53%).

“I think both teams are very different than the last time we played them,” said O’Brien. “But I still think you have to look at those games, you have to study those games because there’s a lot of the same players that have played in those games, but the teams are different.”

Sunday night’s matchup between the Texans and Patriots may be a familiar one, but the faces aren’t.

How has Texans QB Deshaun Watson grown since he first played against the Patriots?

The first start of Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson’s career was against the New England Patriots. He has grown a lot since then.

The Houston Texans were counting on a rookie first-rounder from Clemson to lead them against the New England Patriots on Sept. 24, 2017.

If the gunslinger could beat Alabama in the College Football Playoff national championship game, surely this Deshaun Watson could beat the Patriots in their own building.

A victory did not manifest as the Patriots prevailed 36-33 over Houston. But Watson’s 22-of-33 for 301 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions at Gillette Stadium as a rookie gave Texans fans confidence that quarterback may finally be solidified.

33 starts later, there is no question Watson is the man.

“Deshaun’s come a long way,” coach Bill O’Brien told reporters Wednesday. “Anybody that’s as talented as Deshaun, in combination with the work ethic ⁠— he’s just got great work ethic.”

The Texans had a mini-bye as they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 20-17 on Thursday Night Football to start Week 12. Even O’Brien told the players they had the weekend off and he would see them Monday.

Not so with Watson, who spent his weekend studying the Patriots and the early morning hours of Wednesday working with offensive coordinator Tim Kelly and also O’Brien.

“The guy puts in a ton of work,” O’Brien said. “He’s really passionate about the team, he’s passionate about winning, and I think any time you have that plus you have the incredible talent that he has, you’re going to get better. There’s just no choice. I mean, you’re just going to get better.”

In Week 1 of 2018, Watson’s first game back since tearing his ACL on Nov. 2, 2017, the young signal caller did not have as promising of a day as he completed 17 passes on 34 attempts for 176 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Still, that was over a season and a half ago. The growth in that span has been measurable.

“I think he knows a lot more about the league and defenses and our offense and our personnel and the personnel he’s going up against,” said O’Brien. “So, I think he’s done a great job.”

The Patriots and Texans square off on Sunday Night Football at 7:20 p.m. CT from NRG Stadium.

Texans 100: Facts and Figures for Patriots on Sunday Night Football, No. 1-25

The Houston Texans and the New England Patriots get ready for battle on Sunday Night Football, and we have the facts to whet your appetite.

The Houston Texans and the New England Patriots will meet on Sunday Night Football for one of the more exciting matchups of Week 13. Football fans should be thankful for another bout between a young gun in Deshaun Watson and the old guard in Tom Brady.

series facts

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David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

1. The Texans are 7-4 for the first time in team history.

2. Since 1990, when playoff formats were last tinkered with, 68/124 teams that started 7-5 made the playoffs with 24 of them having won the division.

3. Since 1990, when playoff formats were last reformatted, 83/102 teams that started 8-4 made the playoffs with 44 of those teams having won the division.

4. The Patriots are 10-1 for the third time in team history. The two previous teams made the playoffs (2015, 2004) with the 2004 team having won the Super Bowl. Neither achieved home-field advantage.

5. Since 1990, when playoff formats were last reformatted, here are the final fates of 11-1 teams:

Lost divisional 7/18

Lost conference title game: 7/18

Lost Super Bowl: 2/18

Won Super Bowl: 2/18

 

6. Since 1990, when playoff formats were last tinkered with, here are the final fates of 10-2 teams:

Lost wild-card: 2/42

Lost divisional: 9/42

Lost conference title game: 13/42

Lost Super Bowl: 8/42

Won Super Bowl: 10/42

 

7. The Texans are 1-10 against the Texans with a 1-3 mark at home.

8. The Texans are 14-23 in prime time games with a 9-10 record at home.

9. The Patriots are 71-50 in prime time games with a 32-33 record on the road.

10. The Texans are 32-44 in December games with an 18-16 record at home.

11. The Patriots are 127-88 in December games, including playoffs, with a 60-62 record on the road.

12. The Patriots are 37-42-1 in the Central Time Zone, including playoffs, with a 7-6 record in prime time.

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What does Bill Belichick like about Deshaun Watson?

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick will face Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson for the third time, and he likes the Pro Bowler’s play.

For the third time in as many seasons, Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans will face Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots.

Over the past three seasons, Belichick has seen the growth in Watson, from bright-eyed rookie to budding star to NFL superstar. Before their Week 13 matchup, the legendary coach sees No. 4 as a threat to their 10-1 record.

“Deshaun’s a very talented player, certainly one of the top players in the league at his position that we’ve faced,” Belchick told the Houston media in a conference call Tuesday. “Does a great job on the deep ball, has very good touch and accuracy, is a good decision maker, obviously very athletic kid that can do a lot.”

Watson has thrown for 2,899 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions on a 69% completion rate, good for his career-high 103.4 passer rating, along with five rushing touchdowns and 301 rushing yards.

Belichick lauds Watson’s deep ball prowess, and for good reason. According to Player Profiler, he is second in the NFL in deep-ball attempts (62) and seventh in deep-ball accuracy (43.5%).

Like the only quarterback to defeat the Patriots in 2019, Lamar Jackson, Watson posses as a threat to New England for more than his arm. He can run. Combine the two, and you have a dual-threat able to succeed in both facets of the game.

“He’s a very good passer, can extend plays and make throws out of pocket, make throws in the pocket, and if he has to run the ball to convert a third down, he certainly is capable of doing that, and he’s a hard guy to tackle,” Belichick said. “I’ve been very impressed with his downfield passing ability and decision making and accuracy on third down.”

Watson did not defeat New England in his two tries doing so. In the first attempt, he took the Patriots to the brink of defeat in Foxborough, losing 36-33 in his second career start. In the second, he struggled in a season-opener while trying to shake the rust off of tearing an ACL.

On Sunday, at 7:20 p.m. CT, Watson will get his third crack at defeating Belichick. If the Patriots coach’s scouting report is correct, he will give them a fight worth watching on prime time TV.

Texans start Week 13 No. 9 in Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings

The Houston Texans are still in the top-10 in the latest Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings to start Week 13.

The Houston Texans are one of the top-10 best teams in the NFL in the latest Touchdown Wire power rankings.

According to Doug Farrar, the Texans come in at No. 9 in the power rankings after spending last week at No. 13 overall.

One of the things you want to see from a franchise quarterback is the ability to recover from a really bad game and keep the good play going after that. Deshaun Watson had this opportunity after his disaster against the Ravens in Week 11, and he took advantage. Following a game in which he was frustrated by the Ravens’ new-look defense with 18 completions in 29 attempts for 169 yards, no touchdowns, one interception and six sacks, Watson completed 19 of 30 passes for 298 yards, two touchdowns and one pick in a 20-17 win over Indianapolis that put Houston in sole possession of first place in the AFC South. Watson riddled the Colts’ secondary with deep shots to DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller. Perhaps even more importantly for the Texans’ postseason prospects, a secondary that has been a liability most of the season did a great job shutting down Jacoby Brissett and the Colts’ passing game.

The Texans are currently 7-4 and first place in the AFC South. It is all in front of them as they neutralized the Colts’ tiebreaker. Now, if they get in a tiebreaker situation with Indianapolis, it will come down to division records, and the Colts and Texans each only have one at this point.

The Tennessee Titans finished No. 11. Indianapolis is No. 14. The Jacksonville Jaguars are at No. 24.

Houston will have a chance to move up in the power rankings as they host the 10-1 New England Patriots Sunday night at NRG Stadium. A win against the cream of the conference will only make the Texans a team to be feared to start December.

How can the Texans get a first-round bye?

The Houston Texans are currently not in the race to gain a first-round bye. However, they can be if certain things for their way.

With a 7-4 record, the Houston Texans’ odds of obtaining a first-round bye are slim. So slim, in fact, that Football Outsiders gives them a 0.1% chance of claiming the No. 1 seed and 2.2% chance to get the No. 2 one. However, there is a chance.

For the Texans to get that precious first-round bye, defeating the 10-1 New England Patriots — who possess the top seed — on Sunday is a must. They also must root for the Los Angeles Rams, who face the second-seed Baltimore Ravens (8-2) on Monday.

Baltimore then must lose to the hands of the 10-1 San Francisco 49ers next Sunday.

If Houston defeats the Patriots and the NFC West dominates the Ravens, the seeding would go as so:

  1. Patriots (10-2)
  2. Ravens (8-4)
  3. Texans (8-4)
  4. Chiefs (8-4)

Let’s assume the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Oakland Raiders.

The Ravens hold the tiebreaker over the Texans if both are 8-4. Houston has the same over the Kansas City Chiefs.

From there on, the Ravens must drop a game on a relatively easy schedule post-49ers. The most glaring possibility of that happening comes in Week 14 when they travel to Buffalo to face the 8-3 Bills.

Say the Bills defeat the Ravens, Baltimore would be, at the time, 8-5. If the Texans were to beat the hapless Denver Broncos in the same week, after defeating the Patriots, they would stand at 9-4. No matter if Kansas City wins, Houston stays on top if they have the same record.

The Texans would not be able to rest at 9-4. They must win-out, meaning they would have to beat the Tennessee Titans twice and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sandwiched in-between the divisional bouts. If so, Houston would finish at 12-4.

If the Texans finish 12-4, they could gain the advantage of the first-round bye. However, they need help. The Ravens must drop three games, which may not happen considering their talent. As for the Patriots, they must completely fold by losing four of their next five — not a Bill Belichick move.

In culmination, the Texans’ only chance to gain that precious first-round bye stands within running the table and the Ravens choking away their second-seed. Houston stands at a 0.1% chance for the top-seed and 2.2% one for the second-seed for a reason. It’s going to be tough to avoid the wildcard round.

Texans QB Deshaun Watson dominates throwing the slant

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson excels at throwing a particular route, and is the best in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus.

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has proven throughout the course of his 2019 campaign that he is an MVP candidate. In order to have that type of performance, you need a go-to throw.

According to Pro Football Focus, the route that Watson throws the best, better than anyone in the entire NFL, is the slant route.

Watson has completed 26 of 30 slant routes, and two of his four incompletions were dropped. That’s good for a league-high 91.3 grade and an adjusted completion percentage of 93.3%.

It helps that Watson has arguably the best receiver in the NFL to throw to when he is attempting slant routes. Two-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins has caught 81 passes for 839 yards and and six touchdowns on the year, and plenty of those catches have come in the slant.

“Everybody knows we’re going to him, so he’s one of the most targeted players over the last six years, probably in the top five of receiver targets,” coach Bill O’Brien said on Nov. 22. “He is a chain mover, so he’s a guy that we got to on third down or first and second down to move the chains, and that’s great for a quarterback, and everybody knows he’s got awesome hands.”

Nonetheless, it also helps to have a great quarterback who can throw that route, and the Texans have it with Watson.

Fantasy football: Week 12 sits/starts for the Ravens

A look at the fantasy appeal of the Ravens players heading into Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams.

Monday Night Football in Week 12 sees the 8-2 Baltimore Ravens travel to Los Angeles to take on the 6-4 Rams. The Ravens are on a six-game winning streak and have won their last four games by double-digits. The reigning NFC champion Rams have won three of their last four, but find themselves in third place in the NFC West behind the 9-1 San Francisco 49ers and the 8-2 Seattle Seahawks.

Here, I’ll offer my thoughts on players to start and players to sit this week. As ever, Lamar Jackson is playing, so if you’ve got him, you’re starting him.

Start at RB2 – RB, Mark Ingram

Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images

One of these weeks I am confident that I will correctly asses the fantasy value of Mark Ingram. I mean, I recommended sitting him last week due to concerns regarding his volume and production. Ingram, true to form, carried the ball only 13 times for 48 yards, the third time in four games he’s been held below four yards per attempt. But then almost out of nowhere, he catches three passes, two of which result in touchdowns. Maddening.

The Rams have been solid and unwelcoming to running backs this season. Only one running back has amassed more than 45 yards against them since Week 8. No running back has scored a rushing touchdown against them since Week 6. Tailbacks are not exactly enjoying themselves as pass catchers against them either. Tarik Cohen had five receptions against them last week, but that was the first time since Week 8 any back has had more than four catches in a game against the Rams. They’ve not allowed a running back to top 35 receiving yards since Week 1.

In his current form, I have to acknowledge that Ingram is a touchdown-dependent fantasy asset. He is not commanding a large workload, as evidenced by the fact that he has 15 or fewer carries in each of his last five games. Nor is he an every-down player, as he has played less than 66% of the Ravens offensive snaps in all but one game in 2019. If you have no other option, then he can be plugged in as an RB2. But we can’t expect him to score two receiving touchdowns ever again.

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