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Texans have no doubt J.J. Watt will be big part of their defense

By Rucker Haringey

HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 08: J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans gets the crowd to make noise in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at NRG Stadium on October 8, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 08: J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans gets the crowd to make noise in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at NRG Stadium on October 8, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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It would be easy for the Texans to have their doubts about J.J. Watt given his recent injury history. Instead, Surprisingly, that isn’t the case in Houston.

When healthy, J.J. Watt is one of the most fearsome pass rushers in the NFL. Unfortunately, injury issues have limited the talented defensive end to just eight games over the last two seasons in Houston. That fact isn’t stopping Bill O’Brien for placing a ton of faith in Watt to come up big for his defense this season.

O’Brien makes no bones about his belief that Watt will help the Texans “win a bunch of games” this year. The former Penn State coach is a big believer in the way Watt has approached his rehab. The coach won’t rush Watt back onto the field, but he’s impressed by how much time Watt has put into getting his body right.

Then again, it’s not as if O’Brien has a real choice in the matter. It’s not like the Texans are going to part with Watt. Cutting him would have massive implications on the team’s salary cap and their reputation with the fan base. O’Brien realizes that Watt is in Houston to stay.

As a result, backing him publicly is the only logical move. Yes, O’Brien certainly has high hopes that Watt will experience a health renaissance this year and return to his dominant form. That doesn’t make it the most likely scenario though. The more likely outcome is that Watt will never fully regain the form that allowed him to win three Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Watt can’t still be a force for the Texans’ front seven. Deploying him on one edge with Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus on the other side can be a nightmare for opposing offenses. Even if Watt only comes back at 80 or 90 percent of what he used to be, that’s still enough to produce a Pro Bowl season for the Texans.

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The key for Watt will be to stay healthy enough to play a full season. If he does that, it’s reasonable to expect O’Brien’s prediction to come true. If he undergoes a third straight injury-plagued season, it might be time for the Texans to evaluate other options moving forward. It’s a make or break season for Watt in Houston.

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