Tag: Deshaun Watson

Texans QB Deshaun Watson was a full participant in Monday night’s walkthrough

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was a participant in Tuesday’s practice after suffering an ankle injury against the Baltimore Ravens.

It appears as if the Houston Texans avoided disaster. Quarterback Deshaun Watson, who suffered an unknown ankle injury against the Baltimore Ravens, was a participant in Texans’ Tuesday practice, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

The Texans listed Watson as a full participant in their Monday walkthrough. Houston hosts the division rival Indianapolis Colts on Thursday, needing a win to regain the often flip-flopping crown of the AFC South.

After losing to the Ravens 41-7, Watson proclaimed his well-being, saying: “I’m fine. Healthy and ready to go Thursday.”

Watson suffered the injury in the second quarter of the loss. Ravens edge rusher Jaylon Ferguson fell on top of his ankle, causing it to contort in an awkward angle. However, after a few moments, the third-year quarterback propped himself back up and hasn’t acknowledged it since.

With Watson’s ankle injury appearing to be minor, the Texans will have him good to go against the Colts on Thursday.

Bill O’Brien: Texans’ Deshaun Watson has overcame a lot more than a bad game

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson had a bad game against the Baltimore Ravens. He has overcome a lot more than a bad game throughout his life.

Deshaun Watson’s Week 11 performance was not up to par with high expectations. In the Houston Texans’ 41-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the shot-caller suffered his worst loss in his three-year career, his abilities as a passer on Sunday reflected that.

Watson went 18 of 29 passing for 169 yards, a fumble and an interception in the blowout loss. His 63.7 passer rating in the contest was the worst of his season, and third-worst for career starts.

By all means, Watson did not have a good game on Sunday.

However, Sunday was two days ago. Watson has been through worse than a lousy football game at the highest level. He, like the entirety of the Texans locker room, is moving on to focus on the Indianapolis Colts on “Thursday Night Football.”

“If you know anything about Deshaun Watson, like, in the whole scheme of things, relative to how he sees life and how he attacks things, that was one day that is over and we’ll clean some things up and he’ll be focused on Indianapolis,” said coach Bill O’Brien on Monday. “He’s overcome a hell of a lot more than that, so he’ll be ready to go.”

A bad game is a bad game. Nobody enjoys them. What defines a person, and subsequently, a quarterback, is how they overcome failure and disappointment. It’s part of life. Watson, throughout his 24 years, has become an icon for his ability to overcome adversity, on or off the field.

In the NFL, Watson has historically done a good job bouncing back from poor performances. He has a 4-1 record after games in which he recorded a 75 or below passer rating, with his lone loss coming in a 20-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 2 of 2018, where he recorded a 107.6 passer rating.

On Thursday, Watson will have the opportunity to blank the bad game from his mind four days after it happened. He also gets the chance to beat the rival Colts and extend his post-75 passer rating record to 5-1.

Texans’ Deshaun Watson stresses bad games are part of football

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson had a bad game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. That’s just part of football, he says.

Deshaun Watson did not have the game he envisioned in the Houston Texans’ 41-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Watson went 18 for 29 passing for 169 yards, an interception and a fumble in his worst loss as a pro. His 63.7 passer rating from the contest is his third-worst for a game in which he started in, and his worst since Week 6 of the 2018 season.

He isn’t defending his poor performance.

“Not at all,” said Watson postgame on if he can defend it. “You can look at the stats and games. Watch the games. I can show you how to be a professional quarterback. The good and the bad. It’s as simple as that.”

Perfection isn’t real. Watson, and every single quarterback in quarterbacking history, will have bad days. It’s part of playing the position. All-time greats Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning have each recorded a passer rating below 35 twice.

“I’ve had a lot of success and I’ve had a lot of failures. Every great quarterback has; Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers,” Watson said. “They’re going to have their days and they will continue to. The criticism will still come. I can go out there Thursday and light it up and everyone’s back talking highly about me.”

There is one focus in the Texans’ quarterback room: the Texans. While there will be criticism coming towards the 24-year-old, that’s not something Watson can change.

“So, just as a media driven league, I’ll continue to focus on us, the Texans, and trying to get where we want to,” said Watson. “There are still five or six games left. There is still a lot of football.”

Historically, Watson rebounds well from bad games. He has never put together a string of games below a 70 passer rating, nor has he lost a Thursday Night Football game. On Thursday, he will get to be back on prime time, against the Indianapolis Colts, to rebound in front of the nation.

9 things we learned from Sunday’s games of Week 11

Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson and Kirk Cousins are the headliners on the list of things we learned in Week 11 of the 2019 NFL season.

Here are nine things we learned from Sunday’s games of Week 11 and what they mean for the future:

9. Changing of the QB in Chicago?

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

After the Rams took a 17-10 lead with less than four minutes left, the Bears surprisingly yanked quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and inserted backup Chase Daniel. It didn’t help, but it spoke volumes. Trubisky had no apparent injury. But, like he has been most of the season, Trubisky was ineffective. He completed 24 of 43 passes for 190 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Daniel is not a long-term answer. But, neither is Trubisky, the second overall pick in 2017. His time in Chicago likely is coming to an end. The Bears almost certainly will sign a free agent (Teddy Bridgewater?) or draft a quarterback.

8. The Raiders are for real

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

The Raiders have some of the most dedicated fans in the league. They never were a negative factor during the battle to get a new stadium in Oakland. That fiasco was between local government and the team. With the team moving to Las Vegas next year, wouldn’t it be nice to see Oakland fans enjoy a home playoff game before the team leaves? Winning the AFC West might be a stretch. But it’s no stretch to picture the Raiders in the playoffs. Sunday’s victory over winless Cincinnati might not seem like a huge deal. But it was important. The Raiders are 6-4 and very much in contention for the playoffs. Suddenly, their Dec. 1 game with Kansas City is looming large in the AFC West.

7. Kirk Cousins will get another huge contract

David Berding-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota quarterback has been on fire since Week 5, after being publicly criticized by receiver Adam Thielen. Cousins had another big game Sunday, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Vikings to a 27-23 win over Denver after rallying from a 20-0 deficit. A lot of people laughed when the Vikings signed Cousins to a fully guaranteed three-year, $84 million contract last year. But no one is laughing now. Cousins still has next year left on the contract. But, if he keeps playing like he has been in recent weeks, Cousins will get an even bigger contract for 2021.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7

3 people who deserve blame for the Texans’ 41-7 loss to the Ravens

The Houston Texans dropped a key matchup with the Baltimore Ravens 41-7. Here are three people worthy of the blame.

The Houston Texans dropped a big game 41-7 to the Baltimore Ravens Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium. In what could have been a consequential win over one of the top teams in the AFC, the Texans came out and played like the worst team in their division, not the cream of the AFC South. Here are three people who are at fault for the Texans’ loss.

1. bill o’brien

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

It is easy to blame O’Brien because he is the coach and the buck stops with him relative to game day operations. However, the Texans were coming off of a bye week. The only offensive starter that was scratched was receiver Will Fuller, who had been out since Week 8 anyway. Mustering seven points, the fewest ever with Deshaun Watson as the starter, shows the game plan and the execution wasn’t top notch.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Texans QB Deshaun Watson writes ‘MVP’ for Ravens QB Lamar Jackson in jersey swap

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson wrote some encouraging words for Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson after their jersey swap in Week 11.

[jwplayer gL2BlWhc-ThvAeFxT]

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson gave Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson a special message following the Ravens’ 41-7 win over Houston on Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Pro Bowl field general, who faced Jackson back in college when they were in the ACC, with Watson at Clemson and Jackson at Louisville, wrote “MVP” on his jersey that he swapped for Jackson’s.

“I just wrote, ‘Always love. Keep going, keep grinding,'” Watson told reporters after the game. “I wrote ‘MVP’ on it. He’s like a brother to me. I’m proud of him. That’s what I told him and to keep going and stay healthy and keep leading his team.”

For Watson, writing “MVP” on Jackson’s jersey was about the respect and admiration that he has for the 32nd overall pick from the 2018 NFL draft.

“It’s love,” said Watson. “It’s all respect. He played well today. So, there’s a lot of season left. Who knows what can happen?”

The favorites to win the MVP race, in Watson’s mind, are Jackson, Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and himself.

Said Watson: “This game is about brotherhood. Who knows how long we’ll get to play? I have a lot of peace with my heart and my mind. So, yes, today didn’t go our way and it’s going to have a lot of criticism, but at the end of the day, that’s not going to stop what I’m doing and what I continue to do and waking up blessed, happy, walking, being able to do what I love to do at a high level.”

Watson didn’t play at a high level against the Ravens, going 18-of-29 for 169 yards and an interception. The next time Houston would get a chance to play Baltimore would be in the playoffs, and Texans fans are hoping Jackson is writing “Super Bowl MVP” on Watson’s jersey after the next swap.

Texans QB Deshaun Watson says ‘everyone’ saw pass interference against WR DeAndre Hopkins

Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson says the alleged pass interference against WR DeAndre Hopkins in the Baltimore Ravens loss was obvious.

The Houston Texans lost to the Baltimore Ravens 41-7 Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium. The game may have had a different tenor overall if not for one big missed call.

On a fourth-and-2 from the Ravens’ 33-yard line in a scoreless first quarter, quarterback Deshaun Watson scrambled away from Baltimore defenders and threw an end zone shot to receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey tackled Hopkins prior to the ball’s arrival, possibly defensive pass interference which would have setup Houston first-and-goal at the 1-yard line.

Instead, referee Alex Kemp’s crew made no call on the field, and it was a turnover on downs.

Coach Bill O’Brien challenged, but New York ruled the no-call on the field stood.

“I mean, everyone saw it,” Watson told reporters after the game. “The guy wrapped him around, but they made that call and you got to live with it. You can’t really dwell on it.”

O’Brien was passive-aggressive with his comments in his postgame presser.

“I have no idea,” O’Brien said. “I have no idea what pass interference is anymore. No idea.”

The Texans gave up two touchdowns in the second quarter and suffered a missed field goal from Ka’imi Fairbairn that would have made it 14-3 at halftime.

If the Texans could have taken an early 7-0 lead over Baltimore, it could have been a more of a slugfest than a curb stomp on Russell Street by the Ravens.

“It definitely could have been a changing point of the game, momentum switch,” said Watson. “But it’s just one of those calls that it didn’t go our way and we just got to continue to push forward.”

Watson completed 18-of-29 for 169 yards and an interception along with losing a fumble and taking six sacks. The Pro Bowl quarterback finished with a 63.7 passer rating, the fourth-lowest of his career.

Deshaun Watson gave Lamar Jackson ‘MVP’ jersey after game

With yet another game against an MVP contender at quarterback, Jackson is proving he’s a step above all of them.

In what was a matchup of two MVP-contending quarterbacks vying for one of the top seeds in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson anointed themselves as the superior team with a 41-7 victory over the Houston Texans and Deshaun Watson.

It was expected to be a tight game as both Jackson and Watson tried to outduel one another in a rematch of their famous Clemson-Louisville shootout. But when Jackson got pulled in the fourth quarter, it was obvious which one was the real MVP candidate. Following the game when the two traded jerseys, Watson gave a little MVP love to Jackson.

Watson specifically wrote:

“To: LJ8
Keep going fam!
Always Love!
100!
MVP”

Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images

Jackson should be en route to yet another AFC Offensive Player of the Week nomination and potentially his third consecutive win of the award. He completed 17-of-24 passes for 222 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 139.2 passer rating.

Watson, on the other hand, was harassed all game long and made several big mistakes. He finished 18-of-29 for 169 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, one fumble and a passer rating of just 63.7. By comparison, punter Sam Koch completed one pass for minus-two yards and had a passer rating of 79.2.

But Jackson was also the far more dynamic quarterback on the ground as well, gaining 86 yards on just nine carries, including yet another highlight-reel run. Watson ran for just 12 yards on three carries while being sacked six times as Baltimore contained him in the pocket and hit him routinely.

With yet another game against an MVP contender at quarterback, Jackson is proving he’s a step above all of them. If he wasn’t an MVP front-runner before this game, there’s little question he’s there now.

[vertical-gallery id=37274]

Texans’ 41-7 loss to the Ravens spells an eight-letter word: Disaster

The Houston Texans 41-7 loss o the Baltimore Ravens spells an eight-letter word: disaster. Things can only get better, correct?

Advertised to be the game of the century, Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans was supposed to be a thriller, a playoff preview and a matchup between two MVP candidates.

Supposed to be. The Ravens ran away with a 41-7 win.

A first-drive sack-fumble from Deshaun Watson set the tone of a sloppy game for Houston. After a field goal miss, a noticeable pass interference non-call reaffirmed the worst for the Texans: it won’t be pretty, not from Houston’s end, the officiating one or for their health.

Disaster.

Following two second-quarter touchdowns thrown by Lamar Jackson, the Texans rushed for a two-minute scoring drive. Only to see another apparent defensive pass interference non-call and a Ka’imi Fairbairn missed kick.

Even worse? Ravens defender Jaylon Ferguson landed on Watson’s ankle. Though he propped himself back up, gingerly, the impact of so was all too noticeable.

Following Houston’s failed two-minute drive — where momentum was brewing — the Ravens ran away with the win.

Mark Ingram scored a receiving touchdown on a non-call pick play, Jackson gashed the Texans defense with his legs, to the tune of 263 yards; Houston lost their health going into the game; the offensive line struggled to keep Watson up-right (seven sacks allowed); Watson threw an errant interception; Mark Andrews, Ingram and Gus Edwards helped run up the score; Watson was beaten and bruised; the Texans left Baltimore miserable.

A positive? Carlos Hyde helped avoid a shutout with a 41-yard touchdown. Good for you, fantasy football owners. Another positive? For Baylor fans, Robert Griffin got reps with plenty of time left in the fourth quarter. For Alabama fans, A.J. McCarron did too.

A negative? Watson had his worst game as a pro. He went 18 for 29 for 169 yards, no touchdowns, an interception and a fumble, suitable for a 63.7 passer rating. Jackson left the game with four touchdowns and a 139.2 passer rating while taking just one sack.

The Texans squandered an opportunity to solidify their status as a contender on a game with the nation watching.

An eight-letter word is applicable and defining: disaster.

Rather than head into Thursday night with the Indianapolis Colts with excitement surrounding the Texans, it’s all question marks.

  • Can the Texans rebound from the worst loss in the Deshaun Watson-era?
  • Are the Texans still a playoff team?
  • How will their now-battered defense respond without the depth they once boasted?
  • Is Deshaun Watson’s ankle okay?

Legitimate questions. Legitimate questions that were not asked hours ago. After losing 41-7, they should and will be.

Summary

The Texans suffered their worst loss of 2019, and it wasn’t close. After a solid first question, without points, they folded to the Jackson-led Ravens. The Texans allowed (SIX) stats while losing the time possession and yardage battle in an embarrassing loss.

Turning point

In the first quarter, on 4th-and-2, Watson threw an endzone bomb to Hopkins. That bomb was broken up by Marlon Humphrey. Not without obvious defensive pass interference, however. Despite a challenge on the play, the officiating crew did not overturn it. Twitter was not happy.

Unique sheet

Texans: If there was a positive to gain out of the loss, it was DeAndre Hopkins. With 8:22 left in the first quarter, Hopkins recorded his fourth reception, making him the second-youngest player in NFL history to do so (27 years, 164 days).

Ravens: The Texans had not allowed a player to rush for more than 100 yards in 25 games. Gus Edwards, with a garbage-time 63-yard touchdown, changed that. He finished the game with 112 yards.

Scoring summary

Baltimore Ravens — 0, 14, 13, 14 — 41

Houston Texans — 0, 0, 0, 7  — 7

Second quarter

BAL — Roberts 15 yard pass from Jackson, 5:46

BAL — Andrews 18 yard pass from Jackson, 2:18

Third quarter

BAL — Ingram 25 yard pass from Jackson, 11:40

BAL — Tucker 34 kick, 6:54

BAL — Tucker 46 kick, 1:35

Fourth quarter

BAL — Ingram 12 yard pass from Jackson, 9:56

HTX — Hyde 41 yard run, 7:18

BAL — Edwards 63 yard run, 4:12

injury report

Texans: 

  • S Mike Adams – concussion
  • S Justin Reid – shoulder
  • CB Lonnie Johnson – foot

Ravens:

  • None

up next

The Texans will host the 6-4 Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football, Nov. 21.

The Ravens will travel to Los Angeles to face the 5-4 on Monday Night Football, Nov. 25.

Texans-Ravens live blog: 41-7 Ravens — FINAL

The Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens square off for a Week 11 encounter. Can’t catch the game? Follow along here.

0:00 — The Texans fall to 6-4 on the season and the Ravens improve to 8-2. Houston has to recover quickly as Indianapolis comes in on Thursday night looking for the sweep.

3:55 — QB A.J. McCarron comes in to spell Watson; his day is done.

4:12 — Ravens RB Gus Edwards rushes for a 63-yard touchdown. Extra point is good. The Texans defense allows a 100-yard rusher for the first time since Dec. 31, 2017, when Colts RB Frank Gore rushed for exactly 100. Ravens, 41-7.

7:18 — It won’t be the fourth ever shutout in Texans history, including playoffs, as Hyde rushes for a 41-yard touchdown. Extra point is good. Ravens, 34-7

9:56 — Jackson throws his fourth touchdown of the game as he connects with Ingram for a 12-yard score. Extra point is good. Ravens, 34-0

14:45 — On a fourth-and-2 from the Baltimore 29-yard line, Watson can’t connect with Hopkins.

15:00 — The Texans are going to have to make decisions as to whether or not they want to pack it in considering they host the Indianapolis Colts for a rematch on Thursday night. Reid is out and Johnson is questionable to return.

fourth quarter

1:35 — Tucker hits a 46-yard field goal. Ravens, 27-0

4:57 — It keeps getting worse. Watson throws across his body into traffic and Ravens LB Josh Bynes picks it off and returns it to the Houston 39-yard line.

6:54 — Tucker connects on a 34-yard field goal. Ravens, 24-0

8:03 — Texans S Justin Reid is down and holding his shoulder. Reid is being tended to by trainers.

9:11 — Texans CB Lonnie Johnson appeared to have injured his ankle on the play and is being tended to by trainers.

10:31 — The Texans can’t respond and Watson takes a 13-yard sack on third-and-10 from the Houston 40-yard line. That is Watson’s sixth sack of the game.

11:40 — It’s getting late early. Jackson throws a 25-yard touchdown to Ingram. Extra point is good. Ravens, 21-0

15:00 — The Ravens get the ball to start the second half. A big drive coming up.

third quarter

stats

Texans

Watson: 10/15, 102 yards; 3 carries, 12 yards

Carlos Hyde: 5 carries, 13 yards

Duke Johnson: 3 carries, 11 yards

Hopkins: 5 catches, 43 yards

Stills: 2 catches, 20 yards

Ravens

Jackson: 8/13, 97 yards, 2 TDs; 6 carries, 45 yards

RB Mark Ingram: 8 carries; 32 yards

Andrews: 3 catches, 24 yards, 1 TD

halftime

0:11 — Texans K Ka’imi Fairbairn misses a 43-yard field goal. The Ravens will go into the locker room up two scores, and they get the ball to start the second half.

0:44 — Watson gets sacked for a 7-yard loss and gets his ankle rolled up on. He holds it, trainers tend to him during the Texans timeout. But he stays in the game.

1:22 — WR Kenny Stills comes up with a key 9-yard reception on fourth-and-1 from the Texans’ 47 to keep the drive alive.

2:18 — Jackson finds Andrews for an 18-yard touchdown. Extra point is good. Baltimore will also get the ball to start the second half. Ravens, 14-0

7:27 — The Texans can’t respond to the scoring drive and are forced to punt after Watson takes two consecutive plays of a loss or no gain.

9:24 — The Ravens strike first as QB Lamar Jackson throws a 15-yard touchdown to WR Seth Roberts, capping off a 90-yard drive. Extra point is good. Ravens, 7-0

second quarter

2:05 — The Texans special teams is not fooled by a fake field goal run as S A.J. Moore drops TE Mark Andrews for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-4 from the Ravens’ 37.

6:39 — Texans coach Bill O’Brien throws the challenge flag, and, surprise surprise, referee Alex Kemp doesn’t overturn the no-call on the field. Ravens ball.

6:39 — On fourth-and-2 from the Ravens’ 33, the Texans go for it rather than try a K Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal. Watson looks for Hopkins deep, and CB Marlon Humphrey tackles Hopkins before he can even for a chance to catch the ball in the corner of the end zone. Ruled incomplete and a turnover on downs.

8:22 — WR DeAndre Hopkins records his 600th NFL catch, just the second-youngest receiver in NFL history to do so. Youngest is Larry Fitzgerald.

10:02 — The Texans gets off the field and the Ravens send K Justin Tucker out for a 43-yard field goal. Tucker doinks it off the right upright no good.

11:44 — QB Lamar Jackson doesn’t need to use his elusive skills as he stands all day in the pocket and finds TE Hayden Hurst for a 12-yard gain on third-and-8 from the Texans’ 39.

12:22 — QB Deshaun Watson scrambles around for about 10 seconds, and it ends badly as he fumbles from a LB Matt Judon sack and the Ravens recover at the 41-yard line.

15:00 — Baltimore won the toss and will defer. The Texans will defend the east end zone.

first quarter

The Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens take each other on for a Week 11 showdown at M&T Bank Stadium. Early positioning for the No. 2 seed in the AFC is on the line as a win would give both teams a 7-3 record and Houston the tiebreaker.

Have you set your fantasy lineups? There is still time.

Steven Mitchell is inactive for the Texans, which means there could be more reps for Keke Coutee.

Are you sure you can’t catch the game conventionally? Let our friends at FuboTV help.

Here are 10 factors to keep in mind when watching the game with one of the big ones being Laremy Tunsil’s false starts.