The Houston Texans did just enough for the second consecutive week to gain a victory, their second of the season. Which players stood out the most in this win?
Seeing that the Houston Texans are finally able to get used to winning is one thing, but now seeing players starting to take over games and making their mark is something of great interest. The Texans are now bringing excitement as they work to reach the .500 mark in the standings.
That continued path this past Sunday night came when the Texans defeated the Dallas Cowboys in front of a national audience and did so in overtime. Not only was it an overtime win, but the Texans had fourth down stands on defense and even forced the Cowboys to make a decision to punt instead of going for it on fourth-and-1 in overtime.
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Houston’s defense made a statement by allowing just one touchdown to the Cowboys in Week 5 and not only that they are now beginning to be feared with the way Jadeveon Clowney and J.J. Watt are playing in recent weeks.
Watt leads the NFL in sacks, tied with brother T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Geno Atkins of the Cincinnati Bengals with six sacks each.
The Texans also had some great offensive play in the Week 5 win over the Cowboys, including play from DeAndre Hopkins, Deshaun Watson and the offensive line as they allowed just one sack in the OT win. Before the game the Texans’ offensive line was allowing an average of four sacks per game.
Though a lot still needs ironed out as the season progresses for the Texans, here are three standouts from the Week 5 victory, which pushed the Texans to 2-3 overall.
3. Deshaun Watson
If anyone ever questions the heart of Deshaun Watson at any point of the season, send them a link to his highlights from this win over the Dallas Cowboys. Watson took a beating from the defense of the the Cowboys, some because of tough defensive play and other hits of his own doing as he went to the extra couple yards.
Watson played like a leader for the Texans should play, but he also needs to realize he’s most valuable for the Texans when he’s on the field, not by taking the extra hit or two to gain a couple extra yards. Those type of runs are needed to be left for the running backs and wide receivers.
The Texans starting quarterback also stood out because of the overall numbers he put up against a Cowboys defense that isn’t horrible. Watson finished the game 33-of-44 for 375 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 40 yards on 10 carries.
In five games this season Watson has passed for 1,621 yards with and eight touchdowns. He’s been a very important player and the effort he gave on Sunday night deserves praise and respect. If Watson cuts down on the extra big hits he’s taking the all will be really good for the quarterback moving forward this season.
2. J.J. Watt
How exciting is it to see the healthy version of J.J. Watt back on the defensive line for the Houston Texans this season? Watt had one sack in Week 5, along with two tackles and one tackle for loss. Though the tackle numbers are low, seeing Watt put pressure on the opposing offensive line makes the rest of the defense better.
Watt in this game was putting pressure on Dak Prescott throughout the game and he was making the offensive line of the Cowboys work for everything they had in the in-state rivalry game. Watt the past three games has been doing that to the opposing teams with all six of his sacks this season coming in those weeks.
The Texans defensive end has not only six sacks this season, but he’s also collected 22 tackles and four forced fumbles. In five games played in 2017 Watt had zero sacks, zero forced fumbles and 15 tackles so he’s improved in that aspect as well.
A player on defense that was under the radar in Week 5 was Zach Cunningham who finished with nine combined tackles as he has 37 tackles for the season.
The Texans’ defense will only continue to improve and they will do so with the leadership of Watt, who takes a lot of the pressure off his teammates just as he did on Sunday night against the Cowboys.
1. DeAndre Hopkins
The performance of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins saved the Houston Texans in overtime with his athletic abilities on his 49-yard reception that put the Texans in field goal position to win the game.
Hopkins led the Texans with nine receptions for 151 yards against the Dallas Cowboys. Though Hopkins did fumble, he more than made up for the turnover by playing like one of the best wide receivers in all of the NFL, which he is, and has proven that fact many times throughout his career.
Two other times this season Watson has caught for over 100 yards as he had 110 yards receiving against for six receptions in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans, and for 169 yards on 10 receptions against the Indianapolis Colts.
Hopkins was a game changer for the Texans on Sunday night and continued to be the top wide receiver on the roster. He makes every one on the offense better each and every week, plus Hopkins is just such an exciting player to watch as he continues to collect 100-yard receiving games.
Each week it will be tougher and tougher for Hopkins to top what he does the previous week, but somehow Hopkins leaves everyone in awe by just what he does for the Texans’ offense.
What will Hopkins do this upcoming week against the Buffalo Bills, a team that is allowing 234.6 passing yards per game. It should be exciting to say the least in Week 6.