What is wrong with Deshaun Watson and the Texans?
The Houston Texans were a popular pick to reach the Super Bowl. They are off to a terrible start in September, due to a leaky offense and Deshaun Watson.
What is happening with the Houston Texans. With Deshaun Watson entering his second season, the Texans were a preseason pick by many to make a deep postseason run, if not find their way to Atlanta for Super Bowl LIII come February.
After losing to the New England Patriots in Week 1, the sloppy performance was easy to explain away. It’s the opener… Watson is coming off a torn ACL… nobody wins in Foxborough.
This week, the explanations are much slower in coming. The Tennessee Titans are without both Marcus Mariota and Delanie Walker, and yet the home team is still off to a great start. Tennessee has a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter, with Watson at 92 passing yards and an interception into double coverage.
If Houston is going to turn it around, this is a pivotal game for it to happen in. The Texans, if they lose, would be 0-2, and only 12 percent of teams with that record have made the playoffs since seeing the current playoff format implemented in 1990.
Additionally, Houston would be looking at a pair of conference losses and a divisional loss to a team that is without it’s best weapon and starting quarterback. That’s a non-starter for a group that is fancying itself as a Super Bowl contender.
Next: Best NFL player from each state
Of course, all of it starts with Watson. The Texans don’t have enough talent on the offense to survive Watson playing middling football. DeAndre Hopkins is great, Lamar Miller is good, and the other skill position players leave something to be desired. Watson has to elevate the unit above mediocrity and not continue forcing it into poor situations.