Houston Texans: A (Mini) Dissertation on J.J. Watt for MVP
By Daniel Tran
Chapter 1: Dikembe Watt-umbo for the Houston Texans
In any sport, the best players have their signature plays: Barry Bonds used his (synthetically enhanced?) arms to belt 600-foot home runs, Vince Carter soared through the air for some of the most awe-inspiring dunks, and Gordon Bombay had the triple deke. J.J. Watt has the batted pass.
This season, armed with a 82 ½-inch wingspan and 37-inch vertical leap, J.J. “Swatt” has batted down 10 passes from the defensive end spot and leads all defensive linemen in that category. Watt would have had 11 passes defensed for the year had he not made the error of actually intercepting a ball thrown by E.J. Manuel and returning it 80 yards for a touchdown; an amateur mistake that assuredly keeps Watt awake at night. However, Watt is not the only one losing sleep.
More from FanSided
- NFL rumors: Aaron Rodgers sets Jets up for Super Bowl run with new contract
- MLB Trade Grades: Dodgers land Amed Rosario from Guardians
- Colorado gives Pac-12 a possible death knell with move to Big 12
- NFL rumors: Dalvin Cook suitor maintaining very ‘real’ interest
- Braves get dose of bad news on Max Fried as ace nears return
The quarterbacks that have faced Watt this season are still suffering nightmares of that big number 99 coming straight at them like a freight train. Watt is credited with 26 quarterback hurries, which ranks second in the league (Sporting Charts, 2014). Watt also got to the quarterback on occasion, amassing 20.5 sacks this season, ranking second in the NFL only behind Justin Houston for the most sacks in 2014 (Drinen, 2014). Also, with this 20.5 season, Watt becomes the first player to have two 20-sack seasons in a career.
Even when he is not piling up numbers, his presence allows for teammates to capitalize on the pressure he creates. The Texans as a team have forced 34 turnovers, leading the league in that category. 20 of those turnovers are interceptions that are caused by Watt and defensive line getting pressure on the quarterback.
Even in the rushing game where the Texans rank 10th in yards allowed per rush, Watt’s impact is felt. Watt leads in the league with 29 tackles for loss with a number of those tackles coming from running backs attempting to run on his side of the field (Team Rankings, 2014). With his motor and skill, the Texans have only allowed six rushing touchdowns for the year.
If he is not sacking the quarterback, batting down a pass, or helping his teammates get in better positions to make plays, Watt is forcing the action himself. He has forced four fumbles (23.5% of the teams forced fumbles) and recovered five, one of which he returned for a touchdown. It seems that whenever the Texans make a big play, J.J. Watt is a big component of that.
Next: Chapter 2: Offense? Fine.