J.J. Watt
This game was a vintage J.J. Watt performance for the Houston Texans, he had two sacks which places him second in the NFL with 14.5 sacks and ties him with Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter and Denver Broncos defensive nightmare, Von Miller. Watt also had a forced fumble on one of the Jets’ ball carriers which place him tied in the lead with six forced fumbles through 14 games.
Watt has recorded a sack for all but six games this season and this is his fourth game in the season that he has multiple sacks. Watt was a game changer for the Texans in Week 15 since the forced fumble that was recovered by defensive Angelo Blackson resulted in a 45-yard touchdown catch from DeAndre Hopkins to extend the Texans’ lead in the second quarter.
Watt overwhelmed the Jets offensive line at the point of attack and was able to get to Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold late in the fourth quarter to seal the game. Watt has proven that he is the player of old despite back and knee injuries that threatened his NFL career.
Watt’s impressive season has to garner enough attention to have him in the running for Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award or 2018 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. His impact on the field cannot be overstated and his defensive performance helped the Texans gain their tenth win.