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.