The plan for J.J. Watt versus the Buffalo Bills in Saturday’s AFC wild-card is to see how well the Houston Texans defensive end produces as a pass rusher first and foremost.
Watt has missed the last eight games of the regular season with a torn pectoral muscle, an injury that would normally end a player’s season. However, Watt’s quick recovery in a two-month span afforded the All-Pro a chance to contribute in the postseason.
“Well, he’s a pretty good pass rusher, so I would like to get some pass rushing reps out of him,” defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel told reporters Wednesday. “So, you’re looking at third down, two minute and then we’ll see after that.”
Watt is on board with the coaching staff’s plan.
“I think we have a good plan,” said Watt. “I think we have a good plan for how we’re going to utilize the game and how we’re going to go throughout the game. I think today was a good day for me. [Wednesday] was my first day in pads. We were in pads out there on the field and it was good. I went through a lot of tests that I wanted to go through personally.”
The physical aspect of returning from an eight-game absence due to injury is one thing. After all, what Watt was able to do in his rehabilitation gave him the belief he could play. However, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year admits he is still adjusting to the mental aspect of coming back from injury.
Said Watt: “Just mentally, when you’re coming back from — you’ve got to go through some tests mentally to make sure that you can do the things you want to do, and today was a really good day for that. I felt really good out there, did a whole bunch of different stuff to try and simulate what’s going to happen in the game and felt very good in all of those things. So, very pleased with where it’s at.”
The Texans finished the regular season with 31 sacks, tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for the sixth-fewest in the NFL. Watt wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire himself with just 4.0 sacks through eight games before his injury. However, if he can provide the Texans’ pass rush a spark to harass quarterback Josh Allen, then the comeback would be worth it and the first stages of Crennel’s plan to re-insert Watt would be successful.
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