Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has shown a proficiency to breakdown opposing defenses, both on the field and in his press conferences, but the Pro Bowl signal caller claims this was a skill he developed upon arriving into the league.
29 games into his NFL career, Watson is demonstrating this skill at an expert level with a 104.1 passer rating and an 18-10 record in 28 starts. However, it began early in his rookie season because it was what coach Bill O’Brien’s offense demanded.
“I knew it when I was coming in,” Watson told reporters Wednesday. “That was one of the biggest things, especially playing in this offense and playing for Coach O’Brien, you’ve got to be smart and know what the defense is doing. That’s the only way you can really be successful in this league is knowing where to go with the ball and understanding what defenses are wanting to do.”
Though Watson claims he had an understanding of defenses coming in, and even if he has shown proficiency in breaking them down, the former 2017 first-round pick won’t simply lean on his own understanding. Watson still improves his craft to ascertain new ways to exploit the opposition.
“As far as learning, I’m always learning, always finding new ways to try to attack different defenses and then defensive coordinators are also trying to do different things,” said Watson. “As a course of career, I continue to grow, I continue to learn and study as much as I can.”
Watson has collected 1,644 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and three interceptions in his six starts for the Texans in 2019, leading the club to a 4-2 record. The Pro Bowl field general has not taken a sack in the past two games, the first time since 2014 during Weeks 1-2 that a Texans quarterback has not been sacked in consecutive games. Some of it is due to the protection receives, and the other part is Watson’s understanding of defenses.
