There is no better example of why the punditry has picked Houston Texans to be the worst team in the NFL than Deshaun Watson’s placement on a top hundo list.
According to the dynamic duo of Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield at the Touchdown Wire, Watson is the eighth-best player in the NFL right now.
Last season I did my best to implore fans to watch Deshaun Watson each Sunday. While the Houston Texans were a bad football team, Watson was one of the more enjoyable players to watch. His growth as a passer from his days at Clemson to now has been a joy to follow. Watson is now a master manipulator at all levels of the field, and his athleticism and aggression as a passer makes him a dangerous player to try and defend:
A look at Deshaun Watson from Sunday:
*Playing some of his best football
*Resetting in the pocket
*Standing tall against the blitz pic.twitter.com/k8U7C0thJa— Mark Schofield (@MarkSchofield) November 9, 2020
Looking at Deshaun Watson against the Packers
*Processing speed and choosing the concept
*Throwing out of empty
*Seams versus single-high
*Play-action concepts pic.twitter.com/HjzQOihhae— Mark Schofield (@MarkSchofield) October 26, 2020
I am once again imploring you to watch Deshaun Watson. Here's some of what he did against New England.
*Rub routes versus Cover 1
*Crossing routes versus man
*Crossing routes versus zone pic.twitter.com/jvRigrplQQ— Mark Schofield (@MarkSchofield) November 23, 2020
Of course, the biggest story regarding the Texans QB right now relates to his legal situation. Facing over 20 civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault of women he hired as massage therapists, it is hard to envision Watson seeing the field this season. It is important to note that civil litigation does not move at the speed of criminal matters, so this could linger well past the fall.
Imagine going from the eighth-best player in the NFL at quarterback to Tyrod Taylor and rookie third-rounder Davis Mills under center. It is factually a drop-off at the position, and one that the entire game is built around, which is why the Texans consistently get pegged as No. 32 in most power rankings.
Taylor and Mills looked serviceable against the Green Bay Packers in the Texans’ 26-7 preseason win. The former 2015 Pro Bowler was 4-4 for 40 yards, and Mills went 11-of-22 for 112 yards and an interception. Watson was not at Lambeau Field Saturday night as he did not travel with the team.