KANSAS CITY, MO – AUGUST 09: Quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans warms up during pre-game, prior to a pre-season game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on August 9, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots will be the first team to have to deal with the dynamic Deshaun Watson in 2018.
Deshaun Watson is not a stranger to the New England Patriots.
They played the Houston Texans during Week 3 of last season, and while they still won the game, Houston’s dynamic quarterback completed 22 of 33 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns against them while also picking up 41 yards on the ground — as a rookie. Bill Belichick and company have witnessed firsthand the damage Watson can do on the field.
Now, they’ll have to face Watson again, this time to kick off the 2018 season.
The Patriots will have their hands full as they try to contain the explosive Watson, and defensive line coach Brendan Daly absolutely knows it.
“Getting this guy on the ground is one of the more difficult things out there,” Daly said via NESN.com. “You can’t let him have free access around the perimeter obviously. But even when you do a good job there, he’s so elusive in the pocket in terms of making people miss. We had a major issue with that in our game last year and people continued to have an issue with that through last year and into the preseason this year. He’s very elusive.”
Watson very well may have been on his way to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, if his season hadn’t been derailed by a torn ACL in practice. After Watson went down, as well as superstar defensive end J.J. Watt, the 2017 season for the Texans fell apart and they wound up missing the playoffs.
Coming back from a season-ending injury, Watson is going to be even hungrier to get back to that place in 2018, and the Patriots are the only thing standing in his way to getting the Texans off to a 1-0 start. Even though New England has won five Super Bowls and are coached by Belichick, one of the best defensive minds of all time, the 22-year-old Watson isn’t going to be intimidated.