The Texans leaned heavily on Deshaun Watson in Seattle on Sunday and the rookie provided plenty of reasons why that’s a wise approach for them this season.
Watson threw for 402 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 67 more, including an eight-yard jaunt for a first down just before the two minute warning in the fourth quarter. That left the Texans in need of one more first down to put the finishing touches on a big road win, but three Lamar Miller runs ended up in a punt that set Russell Wilson up for the game-winning touchdown drive.
It’s hard not to wonder why the Texans didn’t put the ball in Watson’s hands at that point in the game, at least on third-and-4 with the defense showing no sign they’d be able to stop the Seahawks. After the game, coach Bill O’Brien addressed that question.
“It’s my fault.” O’Brien said, via CBS Houston. “I made some bad play calls today, and I just have to do a better job on game day. ... We have to attack. If you enter a game and you dip your toe in the water, you’re probably not going to win that game anyway. So you might as well go in there and attack. And that’s what we do. That’s my philosophy. And that’s the players’ philosophy. Just didn’t do it enough today.”
The Seahawks may have stopped Watson and won the game anyway, but it would have been going down while taking your best shot and that’s something the Texans should be doing more of given how special Watson has been through his first seven games.
