Houston Texans: A (Mini) Dissertation on J.J. Watt for MVP
By Daniel Tran
Chapter 2: Offense? Fine.
As mentioned earlier, it seems that MVP voters are seduced by offensive numbers and have been drawn to voting for the best offensive player of the year. J.J. Watt can even satisfy those parameters.
A former tight end at Central Michigan before transferring and walking onto the Wisconsin Badgers football team, Watt showed that he still has some moves on the offensive end. Watt has caught three passes in 2014; all three were for touchdowns. A 100 percent reception percentage is nothing to scoff at. His four yards gained might not be anything to be call the Hall of Fame about, but his separation off the line is impressive for a 290-pound defensive end sporting a 4.81 40-yard dash time (Pompei, 2014).
His versatility is not limited to just the defensive end of the field as he was moved around on all of his offensive possessions. On his three touchdown passes, Watt was used in three different positions on the field: He came off the line as a tight end against the Raiders, split wide of the formation as a wide receiver against the Browns, and went in motion from the backfield as a fullback. Anywhere the Texans put Watt on the field, he was making plays.
Fun fact: Watt’s three touchdown catches rank above Pro-Bowl wide receivers, Vincent Jackson, Reggie Wayne, and Larry Fitzgerald who all finished the year with two touchdowns each. If that does not say offensive monster, I do not know what does.
Next: Conclusion