Why Deshaun Watson will excel with Bill O’Brien
By Peter Manfre
When the Houston Texans selected the Clemson star Deshaun Watson, they acquired a quarterback who has every trait to take the reigns of their franchise.
Yes, Deshaun Watson is a proven winner. He has that IT factor. These traits are what will lead him and the Texans to a Super Bowl. As his former head coach Dabo Swinney exclaimed on Houston’s Sports Radio 790.
Watson is a born leader as well, he has proven that with the way he took control of Clemson’s football team, along with the way he handled his struggles early on in his life.
The Texans didn’t draft Watson solely on these traits however. They drafted him because he most resembles the vision head coach Bill O’Brien sees in this team’s offense.
Watson compliments the surrounding pieces on Houston’s offense as well.
The Texans are flush with weapons for Watson. With the help of a two-headed backfield of Lamar Miller and fellow rookie and Texas Longhorn star D’Onta Foreman, Watson will have a good running game to rely on.
The emergence of sophomore wide receivers Braxton Miller and Will Fuller along with an All-Pro version of DeAndre Hopkins will help.
With all of that being said, it is Watson’s on field ability that makes him the perfect fit.
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When O’Brien was in New England, they ran a bevy of quick-read pass plays to go with an accelerated tempo that left opposing defenses confused. They were a versatile offense that exploited defenses for over thinking.
The Texans can utilize Watson’s legs with designed runs out of the shotgun. This could give opposing defenses fits.
With the presence of versatility throughout the field. A shotgun set with Miller and Foreman in the backfield could give defenses problems and the Texans a bevy of options.
Watson will have a learning curve, as all rookies do. The Texans however, can ease him into a deep playbook by relying on his strengths. The Clemson standout is a tremendous rhythm passer and short to intermediate.
Watson’s speed will also play a part in expanding a rather dry playbook in the run game.
Extending his college game will lead to immediate success.
The first six starts of Watson’s career may only see him pass the ball 20 times a game and that is good. Allowing him to run the offense and shorten the field would be a negative if he was not surrounded by weapons that could take a slant to the house or a screen for 40+ yards.
Simple read routes take longer than the average fan would expect, but Watson is a relentless worker who will get the timing down as he gets more reps leading up to the regular season.
The Texans can employ a run-heavy offense like they have in the first few years of the O’Brien era to help.
Watson’s mobility will help Houston avoid the bland run calls of the past. Once the run has set in, he can dissect defenses with his arm since they will be geared up for the run.
Creating a rhythm for Watson will be the biggest key to his immediate success. Instead of dumping the whole system on a fresh quarterback like the Texans did with Brock Osweiler, O’Brien should utilize a simpler scheme.
This means a split-read system and incorporate quick throws and read-options. Basically, the Texans should eliminate complications and simplify the plays at first.
This could mean splitting the reads into halves of the field, or only giving Watson a select few plays with the third or fourth read being a dump off.
This could allow Watson to limit any overthinking while also allowing him to learn the plays in chunks. As he grows in confidence with part of the play they can add-on more.
Putting all of these pieces together have made Watson who he is,t he Houston Texans’ franchise quarterback from day one.