Is the J.J. Watt Pick-Six Top Ten Material in Houston Football History?

There was the 47-yard pass from Gifford Nielsen to Mike Renfro in the Houston Oilers upset of the San Diego Chargers in the 1979 Division Championship game. There was also the 12-yard rush by rookie Earl Campbell to seal the deal for the Oilers against the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football in 1978. More recently there was the 65-yard pass from David Carr to Corey Bradford for the Houston Texans’ first ever franchise win – against the Dallas Cowboys no less.

So where does J.J. Watt’s pick-six rank among the top plays in Houston football history?

With all things considered, I believe that Watt’s play in this weekend’s match-up against the Cincinnati Bengals is in contention with the Nielsen to Renfro pass for number one overall. At bare minimum Watt’s pick-six is worthy of a top three spot. Not only did his play put the Texans on top of the Bengals 17-10 but it also began the slow deflation of the Bengal’s offense.

After Watt’s amazing play Bengals QB Andy Dalton not only lost his composure but he apparently lost all sense of self-confidence as well. He then went on to throw two more interceptions. Watt brought constant pressure off the outside edge and the Bengals offensive line struggled to contain him and keep Dalton upright. This INT for a TD was just the frosting on the cake for Watt. It is a play that I will remember for years to come.

I was never an Oilers fan, because I grew up in a baseball family, so I can not definitively say where Watt’s play belongs in the pantheon of great plays in Houston football history. That being said, I would like you – the reader – to decide where this play belongs. How would you rate this play?