Top Five Impact Players For Texans In 2015
By Randy Gurzi
Dec 28, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) reacts during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Number One – J.J. Watt, Defensive End
I hope everyone was sitting down when they read defensive end J.J. Watt, as the top impact player for the Houston Texans in 2015, because it had to be a shocker right?
Watt has been a beast since entering the league and at only 26 years-old he stands alone as the one player to ever record 20 sacks in a single season twice, which he did in 2012 and 2014.
The two-time defensive player of the year is a freak the 3-4 defensive end, a position which usually stuffs the run and frees things up for the playmakers. Instead Watt plays the run-stuffer role while also being the best playmaker the team has on defense.
As a team, the Texans had 38 sacks in 2014 and 20.5 of those came from number 99 alone. While a third 20 sack season is not out of the question, I don’t expect Watt to hit those totals again…yet.
Instead I expect him to be in the high teens for sacks while still forcing offenses to game plan around him from throughout each and every game.
If Houston makes the playoffs in 2015, expect these five guys to be the primary reason they were able to do so.