When the Houston Texans drafted Deshaun Watson, fans hoped that their team was finally going to have the caliber of QB it needed to go with its defense. During his brief moment in the sun his rookie year (before getting injured), he looked like everything fans wanted and more.
He could run. He could throw. He made the game exciting to watch and made fans believe the team had a chance against anyone. But Texans fans were not the only people excited at his emergence.
Fantasy football players were in love.
Traditional or daily, it didn’t matter. With how Watson produced on a game-by-game basis, one thing was clear—whether he led the Texans to a win or lost, he could help make your fantasy team a winner.
Then he had to go and get knocked out for the season.
But then he took care of business, recovered from surgery, and was ready to go once the 2018 season started. For the first five games, while not as good as last year, he was back to being a fantasy star once again.
The game against New England wasn’t pretty from a fantasy standpoint but then he rattled off four in a row where he accounted for 350+ yards of total offense in each (400+ in three) and had multiple touchdowns in all but one game.
Then he threw up a stinker against Buffalo (15-25 for 177 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions). He followed that up with another one against Jacksonville (12-24 for 139 yards and one touchdown).
That kind of performance is not why he was taken in the early rounds of many drafts. So, what gives? What’s the problem?
The issue is likely to be two-fold: coaching and injuries.
Last season, Texans head coach Bill O’ Brien just let Watson play. He didn’t try to force Watson to fit any certain QB mold. He called the plays according to Watson’s skillset.
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“I don’t feel any limitations,” O’Brien said last September. “He’s a different quarterback, so I think that it’s relative to what each guy can do, and with Deshaun, he can do some different things.
“Relative to what his skill set is and what he knows and what he can do, I don’t think there’s any limitations.”
But this season he has talked about not wanting to rush Watson back or expect too much from him too soon. Because of that, a case could be made that O’Brien is calling plays differently and not letting Watson be himself.
However, more of the issues with Watson and his dip in productivity can be tied to his injuries.
He was so beat up heading into Week Seven’s game against Jacksonville that the team had him take a bus to and from the game—in Jacksonville! They were concerned about the effects the change in air pressure cold potentially have on his bruised lung and rib injuries.
But playing against a struggling but talented Jacksonville defense was okay?
The argument has been that the team wouldn’t put him back out there if he was in danger of getting hurt worse, but how could they want to protect him from a plane ride and not a mammoth defense line or freight train of a linebacker?
However, since they are winning, the story has been about how tough he isnd how he has inspired his teammates to play harder. He has handled all the questions about his injuries as well as the team could have hoped.
But can they really expect him to survive a season with all the abuse he takes? If O’Brien tries to protect him with the plays he calls, is he really utilizing the talent Watson has? Houston’s odds of winning the Super Bowl are kind of long already (according to Betway, 28 to 1 as of October 25).
How far would they fall if his partially collapsed lung becomes fully collapsed?
Back to the original question—will fans ever see Deshaun Watson, fantasy football superstar, again?
Maybe, but probably not this season. They’ll have to wait for Bill O’ Brien and the front office to get cleared out and for the next regime to finally acquire an offensive line.
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