The Takeaway Week 11: Make Deshaun 'Houdini' Watson Disappear
If there was ever a New England Patriots expansion team in the NFL, it would be the Houston Texans.
The organization has been known for building itself up through former Patriots personnel and players such as Bill O'Brien, Jack Easterby, Vince Wilfork, and now Romeo Crennel and Brandin Cooks. There was even the 2019 story that the Texans tried to poach Patriots executive Nick Caserio, which the Patriots humorously shut down with a tampering accusation.
In a way, these teams play against each other like divisional rivals with in-depth knowledge of the others' tendencies. Patriots fans may remember that the 34-16 playoff win over the Texans in 2017 was a lot closer than it seemed—the Texans came surprisingly close to winning that game.
That's in large part to Deshaun "Houdini" Watson, a playmaker extraordinaire who still feels a little underrated.
But Belichick has noticed Watson's talents, saying last year that Watson "does a great job on the deep ball, has very good touch and accuracy, is a good decision-maker, obviously a very athletic kid that can do a lot."
To continue their two-game win streak, the Patriots will have to focus on eliminating Watson and deep threats Will Fuller and Brandin Cooks in this week's takeaway.
A Blitz Into Oblivion
The Patriots have come together after a slew of unfortunate events, snagging two wins against teams they also know well: the New York Jets and, more impressively, the Baltimore Ravens. While Flacco and his receiving corps are easier to stop, many NFL teams have struggled against 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson's dual-threat capabilities. Once Jackson's run was contained and faced a halftime deficit, the Patriots essentially had the game.
Somewhere between best and worst, the Texans are better than what their 2-7 record suggests—they had the worst possible matchups for their first three games, not to mention the tumult that's resulted from O'Brien's Week 5 firing. With former New England defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel as head coach, the Texans have been 2-3, although they lost in overtime to a divisional foe in the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 18. While they still pose a challenge to a rising Patriots squad, the Texans are perfectly primed to hand the Pats their third consecutive win.
The Texans run game has been rendered null all year, averaging a meager 3.9 yards per carry and 87.9 yards per game—that's second to last in the league. As time goes on, the David Johnson-Deandre Hopkins trade escalates from highway robbery to a franchise-altering, million-dollar mistake for the Texans, but it's served the Cardinals and Texas opponents well thus far.
Houston's biggest runner in Week 10 was actually Deshaun Watson, who rushed eight times for 36 yards. Many modern quarterbacks run, but few can do what Deshaun Watson does.
Hidden behind a hideous offensive line, Watson is forced to excel under pressure by extending plays through finding holes, rushing for yards, and oftentimes, throwing for additional yards and even touchdowns.
But Watson is still working with a depleted offense sans Hopkins, which is a main reason for the seven losses. Will Fuller and Brandin Cooks are deep threats, but each can easily be eliminated with any combination of J.C. Jackson, the McCourty Twins and potentially Stephon Gilmore. Jackson's speed could match either receiver, and it's a good opportunity for the radiant corner to continue leading the NFL in interceptions. Because of Jackson and his compatriots, the Patriots are currently tied for the second-most interceptions in the NFL with 11. Securing their 11th interception against Lamar Jackson, the Patriots secondary proves that Belichick's familiarity breeds contempt for NFL opponents—his team will learn your tendencies and trick you into real-life user lurks.
With tight man coverage on these receivers, it will be difficult for Watson to make those game-winning turning points with a big play. Adding the Patriots pass rush into that equation makes things look even worse for Watson.
The Texans have had a poor offensive line ever since Watson was drafted in 2018, and in the years since, O'Brien never whole-heartedly invested in protecting his quarterback. In 2018, Watson suffered 62 sacks on the season. In 2019, he endured 44. This year, Watson has already survived 26. The Houston offensive line plus New England's front seven in a Cover 0 blitz equals a rough game for Watson.
If anyone can pull a win out of a hat, it's Deshaun Watson, especially with the impressive lack of help he has in Houston. Despite the deep connection between these teams, even Crennel is unlikely to outsmart the ultimate magician that is Bill Belichick.
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