Deshaun Watson is one of the most accomplished collegiate Quarterbacks of all time. He ended his Clemson University Tigers career with over 10k+ passing yards, 1,934 rushing yards, 116 touchdowns, 2 ACC championships, a national title, and a collegiate career completion percentage of 67.4% among many other accomplishments. So naturally, the buzz that has surrounded him after being drafted to the Houston Texans was warranted. It’s been a long road for the Houston Texans in their quest to find a quarterback. Or as it’s better known in Head Coach Bill O’Brien speak as “the guy.”
“The Guy” has eluded the Texans for the same amount of time as a NFL Playoff championship has eluded the city of Houston. It just hasn’t happened yet. So the question now becomes is Deshaun Watson “The Guy?”
Watson made his debut as the Texans’ rookie backup QB in NRG stadium Saturday night against the defending Super Bowl Championship team, the New England Patriots. Though it’s still preseason and the highest caliber players aren’t really playing, it’s clear that nothing substitutes actual playing time on the field when it comes to learning a system and navigating the pressure of league game. Watson completed only 3 of 10 passes for a little over 100 yards. He described his performance best when he explained to the Houston Chronicle that, “I did a decent job. I did what I needed to do to try and move the ball to help the team out. There’s always things I can get better at. I’m going to watch the film and I’m going to continue to work on that.” Watson found his moment late in the 3rd quarter when he ran and hurdled into the end zone for a touchdown. This was immediately followed up by a celebratory milly-rock (dance) by the goal post.
That’s two rushing TD’s in two NFL games. Noted.
Milly-Rock or not, Coach O’Brien has the final say, and he said, “Deshaun is a very, very good young player who has a bright future in this league. Let’s put the cards on the table, but Tom has been here for four years. The way we want to play, the style relative to getting guys lined up, protection points, route reads, putting guys in the right spots, Tom’s ahead of Deshaun.”
There it is. There will be no upsets in the ‘House of Texans.’ As it stands, it appears Tom Savage will start. Here’s hoping in the ‘Game of Reads’ a permanent decision will be made soon because everybody knows…The Patriots are coming.