Houston Texans: 3 standout players from win over Tennessee Titans

2. J.J. Watt

It is always exciting to see strong defensive performances, but to see a past All-Pro get back to his past tempo of play, well, that is just icing on the cake. That is what we’ve seen from J.J. Watt this season, and on a national stage on Monday Night Football, no less, the Texans defensive end let the entire nation know he is back and just as good as he once was.

Watt finished the primetime win over the Tennessee Titans with six tackles, one tackle for loss, 1.5 sacks and he forced a fumble. Watt was a jack of all trades in Week 12, and he just keeps getting better each and every game, which has been excellent to watch.

Seeing how the two previous seasons went for Watt where he had no sacks and missed nearly both seasons on the field, the resurgence of Watt this year isn’t completely unexpected, but maybe some are surprised at the level he has been able to reach once again. It isn’t that Watt is playing well, he’s playing at an elite level, which isn’t something every defensive end in the league can do.

Watt’s performance on Monday night has been something we’ve watched a lot this season, and if he keeps up his level of play (45 tackles, 11.5 sacks, five forced fumbles), he’ll be considered for more than just the Comeback Player of the Year for 2018.