Houston Texans: 2015 team awards

Team MVP, J.J. Watt, Defensive End

Stats: 76 tackles, 17.5 sacks, 8 pass deflections, 3 forced fumbles

The turnaround after O’Brien’s statement in Week 7 was centered around a defensive rebirth. Suddenly the Texans defensive unit regained their swagger and became one of the most feared defensive groups in the NFL.

Enter the heart and soul of that defense, defensive end J.J. Watt. His 17.5 sacks only tell part of the story as teams constantly have to game plan around the 6’5″ near 300 pound mountain of a man. His strength and athleticism are both among the best in the game, which is why he is the only NFL player to ever record more than 20 sacks in a season twice, despite all the attention he brings.

It doesn’t matter if teams double team him, use a tight end or running back to try and chip and re-route him, or if they simply run the ball the other way. J.J. always finds a way to impact games, and he often would impact games in bunches.

Watt had six games with multiple sacks in 2015, including three in his final game of the season against Jacksonville. Watt had a slow stretch at the end after breaking his hand, which may have prevented him from back-to-back 20 sack seasons.

Watt is far and away the leader of this team and it would be hard to find anyone who claims another person is more deserving of being the MVP of the Houston Texans.