Houston Texans News: Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt make PFF Top 50 list

J.J. Watt Houston Texans Deshaun Watson (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
J.J. Watt Houston Texans Deshaun Watson (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

It is Houston Texans news that two top players were selected to a 2020 preseason Top 50 list by PFF.

When one thinks about the Houston Texans news for the 2020 NFL season, from the casual fan to the diehard fan, the two names who should come to mind as the faces of the franchise are quarterback Deshaun Watson and defensive end J.J. Watt.

Watson plays the most popular and most important position on any NFL team, and as the quarterback of the Texans franchise, the credit for wins and blame for losses usually comes his direction from those outside the organization. Watson came in 43rd overall on the PFF Top 50 list entering the 2020 NFL season after coming off a season where in the first half of ’19, he was showing signs of being an MVP contender for the long term.

When looking back at Watson’s 2019 season, there were good times and not the best of times, but he’s still showing why he is and will stay one of the very best quarterbacks in the entire NFL. Watson was tied for eighth this past season in touchdown passes thrown with 26, and he was in good company because he was tied with Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs and the NFL MVP), Aaron Rodgers (Packers) and Matt Ryan (Falcons).

Watson was also tied for first place with Josh Allen (Bills) and Russell Wilson (Seahawks) with five game-winning drives. The Texans quarterback also was ninth in passing touchdown percentage at 5.3 percent and came in at sixth place in 2019 for pass completion percentage at 67.3 percent.

The Texans have a special player in Deshaun Watson, and the Texans news headlines this offseason will eventually include his name with a very lucrative contract extension that will keep him in Houston for many more years to come.

Houston Texans News: J.J. Watt still one of the very best when healthy

Injuries in three of the past four seasons have really slowed down the career of defensive end J.J. Watt, and even with the missed games and varying injuries, the Texans superstar and three-time Defensive Player of the Year is still ranked as the 13th-best player in the league by PFF.

Watt has had a Hall of Fame career, as we all know, but coming in at 13th overall after playing in just eight games last season — though he did return for both playoff games — being ranked that high is an outstanding position to be in.

In the article by PFF’s Sam Monson, he wrote the following on Watt:

"“At his best, Watt is still a dominant force in the league, and the only question about that is his health, rather than his level of play.”"

If Watt stays healthy and on the field, he’s the best player on the defense, and the Houston Texans news headlines will proclaim how great he still is, which is what all of Houston wants to see. Watt is nearing an grand milestone this season, and that is 100 career sacks for his career, as this is going to be his 10th overall season in the league. Currently, Watt has 96 career sacks.

As the PFF article states, if Watt is healthy and on the field, he’s going to be one of the better players and maybe the best player on the field. For the Texans news headlines to be positive, Watt is going to need to have a great season for the Texans defense.

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