What can leading your team from a 16-0 halftime deficit to a playoff win in the AFC wild-card do for you? Land you as the “Best Thing in Texas” according to Texas Monthly.
Writer Dan Solomon wrote about quarterback Deshaun Watson and his efforts in helping the Houston Texans prevail 22-19 over the the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 4. Understandably, the 34-yard pass to running back Taiwan Jones was emblematic for Solomon on how extraordinary the two-time Pro Bowler is.
In overtime, the Texans needed someone to step up. As the Buffalo pass rush came after Watson, he converted a third-and-18 play from his own 19 yard line on a possession that, had he failed, would have put enormous pressure on his defense to prevent a game-winning field goal. Then, moments later, on a seven-man blitz from the Bills, Watson escaped what appeared to be a sure sack, then another, to find an open receiver in Taiwan Jones. He used the fact that so much of the defense was trying to take Watson’s head off to charge forward for nearly 30 yards. The Texans were then in a position to win the game, and they did.
Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 28-yard field goal helped the Texans win their fourth playoff game in franchise history. It was also a much needed exorcism of sorts for Houston sports fans as there were comparisons all week between the Tennessee Titans, who were once in Houston from 1960-96 and who owns the franchise record and team history for blowing a 35-3 lead to the Bills in the 1992 AFC wild-card. If the late Bob McNair’s founding of a brand new franchise in 2002 didn’t let Houston sports fans know it was a new era, then the comeback heroics of Watson certainly did.
The Texans face the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional Sunday at 2:05 p.m. CT at Arrowhead Stadium. A win would give the Texans their first AFC Championship Game appearance in club history.
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