Houston Texans starting right guard Zach Fulton is enthused for quarterback Deshaun Watson, who enters his fourth season in the NFL.
The chief reason Fulton can’t wait to play with Watson is because of the cohesion of the Texans’ offensive line, which is returning the same five starters for the first time since 2011.
“Continuity and the chemistry that we have in the O-line is definitely going to be great for Deshaun,” Fulton said after the Texans’ virtual kickoff luncheon Thursday. “We know how he plays, so, it’s something we have in the back of our mind just to block for a tick longer or however long he needs to be able to get that play off.”
When the Texans had a turnstile along the offensive line in Watson’s second year, 2018, somehow the first-round pick was able to lead Houston to an 11-5 record and earn a Pro Bowl selection while taking a league-leading 62 sacks in the process.
In 2019, the Texans traded with the Miami Dolphins for Laremy Tunsil, drafted guard Max Scharping and tackle Tytus Howard, and left Nick Martin at center and Fulton at right guard. Though there were some absences, the continuity remained the same, and Watson’s sacks were cut to a more manageable 44 while the Texans repeated as AFC South champions with a 10-6 record.
The offensive line spends their time discussing how to protect their two-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
Said Fulton: “We just talk about protecting D4, no matter what it takes. No matter what we have to do, just get the job done and protect him because we know he’s going to take us a long way. He extends plays, we know that. Whatever we have to do on our side to make that happen for him, we’re going to do it.”
The continuity with the offensive line is also a boon for the Texans’ run game, which will debut David Johnson as the feature back following a trade with the Arizona Cardinals. The former All-Pro teams up with Duke Johnson to provide a backfield of running backs with similar skillsets.
“They’re both great guys; two professionals,” Fulton said. “They definitely know what they’re doing. We’re going to have a lot of fun blocking for those two guys and I’m excited to see what they can do.”
The Texans kickoff the season Sept. 10 versus the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
