The Houston Hook: How did former Houston Texans perform with new teams?

The Houston Texans said goodbye to some veterans this offseason, but how did they do with their new teams in Week 1?

While many Houston Texans fans were celebrating the Week 1 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, it was easy to start wondering how did some of the former Texans players fare in their debuts with their new teams?

The main player that first came to mind was defensive end J.J. Watt who spent his first 10 NFL seasons with the Houston Texans, a team where he built his numbers to one day become a Hall of Fame selection. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year left the Texans after being granted his release this past offseason, and joined the Arizona Cardinals.

So far it was a good decision by Watt to join the Cardinals because they are 1-0 by defeating the Tennessee Titans, 38-13.

Watt in his debut with the Cardinals – that is still strange to write – finished with two tackles with one being a tackle for loss in 45 total snaps played. Watt’s presence on the field had to help the Cardinals’ defense as his new teammate Chandler Jones finished with five sacks on the day.

If nothing else Watt and his new teammates also helped out the Houston Texans because with Arizona defeating the Titans, that win left his former team in first place in the AFC South after Week 1.

Shaq Lawson was traded to the New York Jets this preseason, and in his debut with the Jets he collected three solo tackles in a Jets 19-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Lawson played the preseason for the Texans, as he joined the Texans this offseason.

Randall Cobb, whom the Texans traded to the Green Bay Packers, began his second stint with the Packers with one reception (on one target) for 32 yards in a 38-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Cobb couldn’t be happier when the Texans traded him back to Green Bay to rejoin quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but it probably wasn’t the return result in Week 1 he wanted.

Just for fun let’s go back to the Cardinals game where former Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins played. In the Arizona win Hopkins finished with six receptions (seven targets) for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Hopkins is still one of the best wide receivers in the game, and it is good to see him have success.

Houston Texans: What is going on with the AFC South after Week 1?

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: There was some good in the loss by Jacksonville in Week 1 against the Houston Texans, and our friends at Black and Teal wrote about three studs (and five duds) who stood out in Week 1.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Not all is good in Indianapolis with the Colts, and over at Horseshoe Heroes they wrote about “depressing comments” following the 28-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

TENNESSEE TITANS: Titan Sized saw their team suffer a loss on Sunday, and on in the fall out from the loss they listed the “winners and losers” from Week 1.