ESPN recently released their NFL MVP stock watch, with Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in the thick of the race to win the award.
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson continues to make those that picked him to win MVP look smart. After nine games of play, the third-year Pro Bowler has his Texans at 6-3. Individually, he is in the thick of a three-man race for MVP.
Watson, Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson are all in contention to win the league’s highest individual honor. According to ESPN, Wilson leads the pack, with Jackson and Watson following, in that respective order.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, Matt Bowen, Mike Clay, Jeremy Fowler, Dan Graziano, Kevin Seifert and Field Yates are complimentary of the third-place candidate in Watson.
“In his first nine games, Watson reached career highs in passer rating (107.1), completion percentage (70.2%) and passing yards per game (270.2). He has plenty of MVP-worthy moments, such as throwing a winning touchdown pass against the Raiders after being kicked in the eye and leading Houston to a blowout against Jacksonville the following week in his fourth game this season with multiple passing touchdowns and no interceptions. The only player with more such games is Wilson (seven).
The Texans are atop the AFC South because of what they’re doing offensively with Watson at the helm. In two full seasons’ worth of games, Watson has 75 total touchdowns, the second-most during such as span in NFL history. Coming off a bye in Week 10, Watson has the chance to put his MVP candidacy front and center when he faces off against Jackson and the Ravens.”
On the season, Watson has thrown for 2,432 yards and 18 touchdowns to five interceptions, while also pitching in 279 rush yards and five ground touchdown. If he can lead Houston to a win over the Jackson-led Ravens on Sunday, those MVP chants may be getting louder.
Houston Texans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly likes the way his unit has taken advantages of drives to score against the opposition.
The Houston Texans offense is 10th in the league in points for (238) and sixth in the NFL in total yards (3,570), which are part of the club’s 6-3 record and first place in the AFC South.
There is plenty with the unit to be pleased with, but first-year offensive coordinator Tim Kelly really likes the way the offense has concluded their drives with quarterback Deshaun Watson at the helm.
“We’ve shown the ability to sustain and finish drives,” Kelly told reporters Thursday. “Deshaun’s doing a good job of really going out there and getting us into good plays, and our guys are going out there and making the plays that are coming their way and they’re able to do it and, like I said, sustain the drives.”
The Texans are averaging 2:59 time of possession per drive, fifth-best in the NFL, and 2.47 points per drive, the fourth-best in the league. The biggest stat that shows the offense is finishing drives is their 65.7% red zone conversion rate, tied with the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday’s opponent, for the fifth-best in the NFL.
Not bad for a unit that last season finished in the bottom-10 in red zone conversion at 50%, the only other playoff team other than the Dallas Cowboys to finish that low in red zone conversions.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a chunk play in order for us to score,” Kelly said. “So, that’s something that we’re continuing to try and get better at, but have shown improvement at.”
The Texans will need to sustain long drives, and finish them off, when they take on the Ravens Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore is the highest-scoring offense in the NFL with 300 points tallied thus far. In order for the Texans to keep the Ravens at bay, Houston will need to out-play them on the scoreboard both proactively and in an indirect manner via time of possession.
The Houston Texans will soon get back former Notre Dame receiver Will Fuller, who has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 7.
Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish receiver Will Fuller V has been out with a hamstring injury since getting hurt in Week 7, but the speedy receiver is nearing a return for the Houston Texans.
After a bye week last week, Houston reported that Fuller is a limited participant in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of the team’s Week 11 matchup with the Ravens.
#Texans Injury Report: Limited: LB Dylan Cole (knee), WR Will Fuller V (hamstring), S Tashaun Gipson Sr. (back/wrist), G/T Tytus Howard (knee), CB Bradley Roby (hamstring), L. Laremy Tunsil (shoulder)
Fuller is in his fourth NFL season, all spent with Houston after they plucked him in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft.
Fuller was a monster in college, recording back-to-back 1,000 yard receiving seasons as a sophomore and junior, and totaling 30 career touchdowns.
Although he has yet to find that level of success in the NFL, he is liable to break out in any given week, and will help the Texans the rest of the way as soon as he is healthy.
Houston Texans third-year quarterback Deshaun Watson is leading the next generation of quarterbacks, which includes Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson.
Quarterbacks aren’t what they used to be. No longer are pocket passers dominating the NFL. Corresponding with a league-wide uptick in passing efficiency is a Big Bang effect of scrambling, dual-threat quarterbacks.
Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson, along with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, and the Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray and others, are ushering in the new generation of quarterbacks bound to take over the NFL, with each more of a two-way threat than the previous kings of the hill.
Watson, who is at the forefront of the MVP debate, sees that as only a positive. There are no guarantees in football, the leaders of the early 2010s are fading out, while the pioneers of the 2020s are pouring in.
“It’s good to have the generation that’s behind legendary Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks like Tom (Brady), (Drew) Brees, Aaron (Rogers), Ben (Roethlisberger), (Philip) Rivers, all of those guys. Who knows how long they’re going to continue to play and continue to be around. ”
On Sunday, Watson, 24, will face Jackson, 22, in an AFC showdown highlighting their MVP resumés. It will be the first of a potentially budding professional — previously, the two thrilled in a 42-36 Clemson over Lousiville win in 2016.
Watson — in his third year in the NFL — has the Texans at 6-3 and in the thick of the hunt for a first-round bye. He has passed for 2,432 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions on a 70.2% completion rate, culminating in a 107.1 passer rating. With his legs, he has fought for 279 yards and five touchdowns.
Jackson — now a professional sophomore — has Baltimore at 7-2 and in possession of a first-round bye. With his arm, Jackson has 2,039 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions on a 65.9% completion rate, worth a 101.7 passer rating. He leads the Ravens in rushing with 702 yards and six scores.
“So, you want that next generation to continue to have this league and have the NFL very exciting and have a lot of good teams and a lot of points being scored. It’s encouraging,” concluded Watson. “It’s very cool to be a part of that.”
Like Mahomes vs. Watson in Week 6, Jackson vs. Watson isn’t just a matchup between two of the NFL’s best. It’s an ushering in of the new NFL.
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is a nominee for the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
The NFL announced their nominees for the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, and quarterback Deshaun Watson was the representative for the Houston Texans.
A panel of former NFL players including Warrick Dunn, Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler will select four finalists per conference, and the finalists will be on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote on Dec. 13.
A team cannot vote for its own player; therefore, if Watson were to win it, the votes would come from the other 31 NFL teams’ players.
The NFL created the award in 2014 in honor of Pittsburgh Steelers founding owner Art Rooney, who was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The award goes to the NFL player who, “best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition,” according to a league statement.
WR Larry Fitzgerald (2014), CB Charles Woodson (2015), RB Frank Gore (2016), LB Luke Kuechly (2017), and QB Drew Brees (2018) have been past recipients.
Other quarterbacks nominated for 2019 include Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, and Carson Wentz.
Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for Week 11 of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for Week 11 of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
QUARTERBACKS
LAMAR JACKSON- $7700 DRAFTKINGS, $8800 FANDUEL
Lamar Jackson is averaging 28 DraftKings points per game and is coming off another dominating performance where he performed the spin move of the season. Now he has a matchup versus a Texan team who ranks 26th against opposing quarterbacks. The Texans are getting gashed by both the run and the pass which should lead to a big game for Jackson in Week 11. He will have the safest floor of the week and should provide a high ceiling as well.
DAK PRESCOTT- $6700 DRAFTKINGS, $8100 FANDUEL
The Cowboys need a win to stay in the playoff hunt and they will rely heavily on Dak Prescott for the rest of the season. Dak has averaged 24 DraftKings points per game and is coming off a 29 point performance versus a stingy Viking defense. I view this as a bounce-back spot for both the Cowboys and Dak. We can easily see a 30 point performance versus the suspect Detroit Lions defense. Detroit is ranked 29th against opposing quarterbacks and allowing 272 yards in the air per game. Where other quarterbacks will be dealing with harsh winter weather Dak will playing in a dome and he should find the warmth in your lineups as well in Week 11.
RUNNING BACKS
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY- $10500 DRAFTKINGS, $10500 FANDUEL
Christian McCaffrey is a stud and he should be locked into your lineups every week regardless of who he plays against. He is having an MVP caliber season and is averaging 32 points per game. He gets a great matchup versus the Atlanta Falcons who have trouble covering pass-catching running backs. McCaffrey should feast and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 2 touchdown and 200 all-purpose yards out of him in Week 11.
JOSH JACOBS- $7000 DRAFTKINGS, $8000 FANDUEL
Josh Jacobs is highly involved in this Raider offense. As each week grows, he becomes more and more the focal point of this offense. Coming into Week 11 he is averaging 17 points per game and I think that goes up after this game versus Cincinnati. The Bengals are allowing 173 rushing yards per game and continue to get torched each week by opposing offenses. The Bengals have given up on the season and a big game is coming for Jacobs.
WIDE RECEIVERS
MICHAEL THOMAS- $9900 DRAFTKINGS, $9000 FANDUEL
The Saints shockingly lost to the Atlanta Falcons and knocked a bunch of people out of their survivor pools. Thomas didn’t disappoint and had another monster game. He is expensive but your paying for his consistency and upside in your cash lineups. He is averaging 114 receiving yards and 25 fantasy points per game. He is the equivalent of Christian McCaffrey at the wide receiver position and he is a lock in my cash and tournament lineups. The matchup provides a boost to an already great play in Thomas. Tampa Bay ranks 31st against wide receivers and should be a lock in your lineups.
JOHN BROWN- $6400 DRAFTKINGS, $5900 FANDUEL
Brown is quietly on pace for a 1200 yard receiving year. He is averaging 75 yards receiving and 14 fantasy points per game. He provides consistency and a nice value on both sites. The Buffalo Bills are coming off a tough loss to the Cleveland Browns and head to Miami for a must-win game. I expect the Bills to pepper Brown early and often with targets to take advantage of the matchup versus the weak Miami secondary and you should do the same in your lineups.
TIGHT ENDS
MARK ANDREWS- $6100 DRAFTKINGS, $6900 FANDUEL
Mark Andrews bounced back in a big way with a 23 point performance in Week 10. He grabbed 6 receptions, totaling 53 yards and 2 touchdowns. This is the third time this season where Andrews has eclipsed a 20 point fantasy performance, and I see a fourth one coming. It looks like Andrews is finally healthy and Vegas has this game currently projected at 49 points. I wouldn’t be shocked if it reached 50 by game time and I still like the over. Like I said above, I like the Ravens offense in this matchup versus the Texans and I think pairing Jackson with Andrews is the right way to stack the Ravens.
GREG OLSEN- $3900 DRAFTKINGS, $5100 FANDUEL
Greg Olsen just keeps on ticking. The guy is a warrior and at 34 years old he is still putting up numbers at a high level. DraftKings and FanDuel haven’t raised his price in relation to his performance if you ask me and I will lock up some Olsen shares for value on both sites. He is averaging 10 fantasy points per game at a position where if you miss you might end up with 0-2 points and that could be the difference in you cashing your lineups. Pair that with the fact he draws a matchup against the Falcons who rank 24th against opposing tight ends and you have safe tight end play for Week 11.
DEFENSES
VIKINGS- $3400 DRAFTKINGS, $4700 FANDUEL
The Vikings are coming off a big win versus the Cowboys and should have an easy victory lined up against the Broncos at home. The Vikings defense is averaging 7 fantasy points per game and has scored double digits on three occasions this year. I think their defense will stifle the Broncos which lack any true offensive weapons. Denver is only projected to score 15 points in this one, so there should be a solid floor when taking the Vikings in both cash games and tournaments.
JETS- $3100 DRAFTKINGS, $4500 FANDUEL
Sometimes you need to take a shot and hope for the best. This is a calculated shot with the Jets coming off a win and playing against a rookie quarterback. Haskins is struggling and surrounded by a bad overall offense. The Jets come at a slight discount and will be low owned as well. If they find a way to score a defensive touchdown for the second week in a row this defense can set you apart in your tournaments.
Jason Mezrahi has been a professional, top-ranked Daily Fantasy Player on FanDuel and DraftKings for more than seven years. He has won FanDuel’s $155,555 King of the Diamond competition and placed second in DraftKings’ Fantasy Basketball World Championship, earning him $300,000. He owns and operates WinDailySports.com, which supports the DFS and Sports Betting community with resources such as tools, projection models, in-depth written analysis and podcasts, plus much more.
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson aren’t just game-changers in the NFL.
Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott share one similarity. They are franchise quarterbacks for their respective teams.
Each is African American. They are, in 2019, pioneers of their position group, a position group that, historically, has been white.
They are the faces of multi-billion dollar organizations which don’t hope to win, but expect to win.
On Sunday, the NFL will get the joy of seeing two of the aforementioned play: Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson vs. Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson.
Watson and Jackson enter Sunday as bonafide MVP candidates. Watson with his 23 total touchdowns, 6-3 record and 107.1 passer rating; Jackson with his 21 total touchdowns, 7-2 record and 101.7 passer rating.
The two aren’t just talk of B’more and H-town, they are the talk of the nation — in doing so, breaking barriers.
Watson takes pride in that.
“It’s awesome to be a part of it and be one of those guys,” said Watson on Wednesday. “It’s something that we take pride in and continue to change that narrative and just continue to do it the right way.”
Watson can attest to a specific message: it doesn’t matter what the color of your skin is, if you can play, you can play.
Watson and Jackson can play.
“It really doesn’t matter what race you are, what color you are. If you can go play football, you can play football,” Watson said. “If you’re smart, you’re smart, and if you have the right coaching you can go out there and perform, especially playing quarterback.”
Sunday’s matchup between Watson and Jackson could contain never-ending thrills. Watson shines with his escapability, decisiveness and an ability to make the improbable probable; Jackson dazzles with his electricity, ankle-breaking footwork and his pursuit of greatness.
This anticipated showdown is a reminder of one grand truth: football is for everyone.
The Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens square off in Week 11. How big of a game is it for the leaders in the AFC South?
“Big game” is a subjective term thrown around in the media that can relate to virtually any game at any time on the schedule.
Dallas versus Houston in Week 5 on Sunday night with the whole country watching, even though it’s still October and both teams still had 11 games to go? Big game!
The Los Angeles Chargers matchup in Week 3 was a big game because it was on the road against playoff-winning quarterback Philip Rivers. Week 7’s encounter with the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium was a big game because it was for first place in the AFC South.
Win them or lose them, the previous big games’ significance pale in comparison to the next big game.
The Texans’ game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11 at M&T Bank Stadium is the very definition of a big game, media characterizations or otherwise. A win propels the Texans to the No. 2 spot in the conference, gives them a tiebreaker over the Ravens, bolsters their first-place spot in the division, and provides more proof they can beat formidable foes in their own venues in consequential games.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson fully comprehends the magnitude of the showdown in Baltimore.
“It’s an AFC game, road game,” Watson told reporters Wednesday. “They’re 7-2, we’re 6-3. There’s so much football to be out there and so much to be played and so much to continue to grow on each and every week, but every win is big in this league regardless of who you’re playing and where you’re playing.”
All of that is true, but the Texans, aside from underscoring a statement made in Week 6 at Kansas City that they can win in tough environments against great teams, can solidify their postseason bid with a win over the Ravens. The key is for Houston to play their brand of football they took to Arrowhead Stadium.
“This is definitely a big one, and we’ve just got to go up there and just block out the noise and play Texans football,” Watson said.
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson’s ultimate goal is to win games, not concern himself with his placement in the MVP discussion.
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has the fourth-highest passer rating int he NFL at 107.1 and has led his club to a 6-3 mark. With a team that saw a defensive playmaker in Jadeveon Clowney go to Seattle, and J.J. Watt lost for the season, the Texans’ star power has come from under center.
As a result, the former 2017 first-round pick from Clemson is finding himself in the middle of the discussion for most valuable player.
“It’s cool, I guess,” Watson told reporters Wednesday. “The only thing I can really control is performing on the field and then everything else is to the voters and whoever decides on that decision. I don’t get too much caught up in that.”
What has helped Watson’s case is his head-to-head performance against other MVP candidates such as the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes. In two of the next three games, Watson will have a chance to add more wins against big names with Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson in Week 11 and New England’s Tom Brady in Week 13 on a Sunday night with all the world watching.
“My ultimate goal is trying to win as many games as I can to get to that ultimate goal,” said Watson. “That MVP stuff is going to take care of itself. If it’s deserving for me, then I’ll do it, but if not, then best to whoever wins that award.”
While there are various and sundry most valuable player awards out there from the Pro Football Writers of America to Sporting News, the officially recognized MVP award is the Associated Press. If Watson were to win it, he would be the first Houston NFL player since running back Earl Campbell to take home the honor. Furthermore, a win for Watson would elevate the Texans out of the collection of eight franchises that have yet to produce an MVP (Ravens, Jets, Texans, Eagles, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, and Jaguars).
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson will be getting support from the opposition Sunday in the form of Baltimore Ravens safety Earl Thomas.
The NFL is a brotherhood, and the loyalties are often times defined by representation.
When the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens square off Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at M&T Bank Stadium, quarterback Deshaun Watson will be directly going against an All-Pro safety who has supported him his career in Earl Thomas.
Both Thomas and Watson share the same agent, David Mulugheta, and it is through the coterie that Thomas has long conveyed his support in the former 2017 first-round pick from Clemson.
“I mean, Earl called me Monday,” Watson told reporters Wednesday. “He FaceTimed me Monday, and I told him I was in meetings. Like, ‘I’m preparing right now to play against you.’ But yeah, it’s a family, especially in the group of circle and my agent and the clients that he has.”
Another example of the adversarial fraternity was when Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey was with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2016-19, another Mulugheta client, who went against Watson in four games over that span.
Ultimately, the driving force is competition, regardless of which side one is playing on.
Said Watson: “We have family ties, and we’re very supportive of one another and when we play against each other, we compete. Like I played against Jalen, we compete, but at the same time, we show love and we respect each other.”
During the limited interaction Watson had with Thomas, the former Seattle Seahawks safety told the Pro Bowl quarterback that he had a message he wanted to give him.
“He said he was going to hit me up later this week,” Watson said. “It was probably about something else, but he’s definitely — it’s pretty cool to have a guy like that to support you and be like a big brother.”
Texans fans are hoping “little brother” gets the win and both sides leave Week 11 with an equitable 7-3 record apiece as Houston seeks its first ever first-round bye in franchise history.
