Watson-led Texans are the league's most entertaining team
"Tom's the starter. Tom's playing well this camp. Tom has really had a good camp. He's only thrown three incompletions in two games." - Bill O'Brien, Aug. 22, 2017
Sure, hindsight is 20/20, but after eight weeks of the season, the Houston Texans' choice to start Tom Savage over Deshaun Watson in their opening game is among the most laughable lineup decisions in NFL history.
The former Clemson superstar has continued his dominance at the professional level, and his 402-yard passing performance in Sunday's narrow road loss at Seattle was just his latest masterpiece.
Here's what the brilliant Watson has done to transform the Texans from a middling offensive outfit into the most entertaining team in the league.
Air show
One of the knocks on Watson during the draft process was doubt about his arm strength. The 22-year-old has laughed in the face of that doubt in the last five games, averaging 9.5 yards per pass - a mark that would lead the entire league this season.
With four touchdowns against the Seahawks, Watson broke Kurt Warner's record for most passing touchdowns through the first seven games of a player's career. The No. 12 overall pick has an absurd 16 touchdowns in his past four contests, and his game logs resemble something out of Madden, not actual NFL matchups.
| Opponent | Completion % | Yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 62.5 | 125 | 0 |
| Patriots | 66.7 | 301 | 2 |
| Titans | 73.5 | 283 | 4 |
| Chiefs | 51.6 | 261 | 5 |
| Browns | 58.6 | 225 | 3 |
| Seahawks | 65.5 | 402 | 4 |
The rookie's helped rejuvenate DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller V, with the pair combining for a monstrous 349 yards receiving Sunday. Perhaps most impressively, those numbers came against the vaunted Seahawks defense.
Dual threat
Not only is Watson invigorating the passing game, but the first-year player has wowed with his running ability as well. Whether he's leading the league in quarterback rushing yards, or extending plays in the pocket like he did against the Seahawks, Watson's playing style is as fun as any pivot's in recent memory.
HOW?@DeshaunWatson somehow finds @Millertime_6 in the end zone! Incredible. #Texans pic.twitter.com/7hp3VCwlyr
— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2017
He announced his arrival on the national scene with an incredible 49-yard touchdown run against the Cincinnati Bengals in his first start, and hasn't stopped creating highlights since.
QB drought in Houston
Football fans are accustomed to being bored to death by Houston's offense, and the shock value makes the potent Texans attack all the more entertaining. A look at some of the names that have suited up for Houston in the past few years explains why he's instantly become a beloved man in the city - and raised so many eyebrows elsewhere.
2016: Brock Osweiler, Tom Savage
2015: Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, T.J. Yates, Brandon Weeden
2014: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mallett, Case Keenum
Watson didn't grab hold of a powerful scoring unit and simply make it better; he took the reins of the league's fourth-worst offense last year and transformed it into a juggernaut.
With J.J. Watt on the shelf due to a season-ending knee injury, the rookie became the leader of the team and injected some much-needed life. Since Watson took over as starter, Houston's averaging a whopping 34.6 points per game on offense, a mark that would easily lead the league.
The rookie also showed Sunday that he's not fazed by an elite defensive unit or a raucous home crowd - a good sign that he'll keep giving people reason to tune in.
Watson's brilliance is enough to leave any football fan wondering what the heck O'Brien was thinking in August.