Former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt still has something to give, even though he had 5.0 sacks and two forced fumbles through 16 starts last season.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, no other edge rusher was double-teamed more than Watt, who was double-teamed 30.1% of the time.
Watt was also tied for the seventh-most tackles for loss last year with 14. His seven pass breakups were tied for the fourth-most among non-defensive backs, and were tied with the Denver Broncos’ Shelby Harris for the most among defensive linemen.
The problem with the Texans’ defense was they couldn’t stop the run, possibly a consequence of letting defensive tackle D.J. Reader walk in free agency, and no one else could take advantage of Watt’s double-teams. Outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus sacked the quarterback 4.0 times, tied for the lowest in his career in a 16-game season.
The evidence is out there that Watt can still be a dominant force on a defense looking to bolster its edge rush. Instead of being part of a soft rebuild in Houston, Watt will add to his legacy in another NFL city.
