{"id":13447,"date":"2017-09-15T13:47:46","date_gmt":"2017-09-15T18:47:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=13447"},"modified":"2017-09-15T13:47:46","modified_gmt":"2017-09-15T18:47:46","slug":"deshaun-watson-gives-the-texans-their-first-victory-of-the-season-ignites-the-offense-and-entire-team-gives-hope-after-winning-his-1st-nfl-start-oh-happy-birthday-deshaun-watson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=13447","title":{"rendered":"Deshaun Watson Gives The Texans Their First Victory Of The Season, Ignites The Offense And Entire Team, Gives Hope After Winning His 1st NFL Start. OH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DESHAUN WATSON"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-13453\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mmqb-deshaun-watson-preview-300x167.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mmqb-deshaun-watson-preview-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mmqb-deshaun-watson-preview-768x428.jpg 768w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mmqb-deshaun-watson-preview-1024x570.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mmqb-deshaun-watson-preview-1080x601.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mmqb-deshaun-watson-preview.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><strong>&#8220;It&#8217;s a dream come true,&#8221; Watson told the NFL Network. &#8220;This is what I&#8217;ve been waiting for my whole life, and now is the time. We knew that it was going to be tough, and we had to work our way to the victory. I just want to thank all the guys for playing hard and playing to the fourth quarter. It was awesome.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p><strong>Since Watson&#8217;s arrival in Houston, the Houston Texans Head Coach Bill O&#8217;Brien, \u00a0has praised him, saying the rookie quarterback is simply \u201ca playmaker.\u201d Watson still has a lot to improve upon, but he at least showed a glimmer of greatness that gives the Texans hope he can develop into a franchise quarterback.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"article-footer\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-links\"><strong><span style=\"line-height: inherit;\">It wasn\u2019t a perfect game by Watson (@deshaunwatson), though a 13-9 victory on the road in a short week for your first NFL start is pretty remarkable. After the game, he told reporters, \u201cI just want to be a complete professional quarterback.\u201d He added, \u201cThat\u2019s going to take time.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<div class=\"c-entry-content\">\n<p id=\"tOaokR\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/nfl\/players\/286190\/deshaun-watson\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-13458\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/deshaun-watson-houston-texans-cincinnati-bengals-thursday-night-football-300x167.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/deshaun-watson-houston-texans-cincinnati-bengals-thursday-night-football-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/deshaun-watson-houston-texans-cincinnati-bengals-thursday-night-football-768x428.jpg 768w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/deshaun-watson-houston-texans-cincinnati-bengals-thursday-night-football-1024x570.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/deshaun-watson-houston-texans-cincinnati-bengals-thursday-night-football-1080x601.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/deshaun-watson-houston-texans-cincinnati-bengals-thursday-night-football.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Deshaun Watson<\/a> made his first NFL start sooner than what many anticipated, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/2017\/9\/14\/16310154\/texans-vs-bengals-2017-recap-deshaun-watson-andy-dalton-marvin-lewis\">but it resulted in the\u00a0<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/nfl\/teams\/houston-texans\">Texans<\/a> getting their first win of the season. It was a nice birthday present for Watson, who turned 22 on Thursday.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"H8dOts\"><strong>He didn\u2019t stuff the box score with a bunch of stats, because he was trying to win, not looking out for himself. He was great when the Texans needed him to be. Watson finished the game completing 15 of his 24 passes for 125 yards. He also had five carries for 67 yards, and his first rushing touchdown of his career.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"9esKCC\"><strong>The Texans offense was still iffy at times. But there were flashes where you could see the potential in Watson, and what he brings to that side of the ball. Bill O\u2019Brien felt he couldn\u2019t get those things out of \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/nfl\/players\/245676\/tom-savage\">Tom Savage<\/a>. \u201cHe wasn&#8217;t perfect, but he did some good things,\u201d O\u2019Brien said after the game \u201cIt will be a lot to learn from.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"MFnd0G\"><strong>With Watson, he\u2019s only going to improve. These were the most promising things Watson showed in his debut.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"Cf8yGN\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-13454\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/920x920-dw-300x156.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"156\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/920x920-dw-300x156.jpg 300w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/920x920-dw-768x399.jpg 768w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/920x920-dw.jpg 920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Geno Atkins is a 6\u20191, 300 pound two-time All-Pro. He\u2019s been one of the most fearsome defensive linemen in the NFL going back to 2011 when he made his first of five Pro Bowls. That\u2019s not exactly a guy you\u2019re eager to get hit by, and he sent the rookie flying off of his feet.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>On the very next play, Watson recovered in the best way possible. He stepped up into the pocket, and realized there was not a play to be made.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"line-height: inherit;\">\u201cI was just trying to make a play,\u201d Watson said after the game. \u201cI broke away and found a hole. My receivers and everyone else that was down the field did a good job of blocking for me and making me find lanes to get into the end zone.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-entry-content\">\n<p id=\"ClhqiK\"><strong>The Texans hadn\u2019t seen a run like that since 2014.\u00a0Deshaun Watson&#8217;s 49-yard TD was the longest rush by a Texans player since 2014 (Arian Foster 51-yard run against the Jaguars).<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"Nl2Jng\"><strong>An overlooked part of the run was that he even got a nice stiff arm in at the beginning of the run on\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/nfl\/players\/286127\/carl-lawson\">Carl Lawson<\/a>.<\/strong><\/div>\n<p id=\"ejQKql\"><strong>Putting a rookie quarterback in at the beginning of the season can be tough. But Watson showed that one of the reasons the Texans traded up to draft him No. 12 overall was his poise.\u00a0<\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/college-football\/2017\/1\/9\/14209282\/deshaun-watson-hit-alabama-clemson-2017-national-championship\">They also knew he could take a hit<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"HXVMGJ\"><strong>The above statement seems like an obvious thing. Hopkins is one of the best receivers in the NFL today, and that\u2019s not up for debate \u2014 but hear me out.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13455\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/usatsi_10208308-deshaun-300x180.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/usatsi_10208308-deshaun-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/usatsi_10208308-deshaun-768x461.jpg 768w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/usatsi_10208308-deshaun-627x376.jpg 627w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/usatsi_10208308-deshaun-440x264.jpg 440w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/usatsi_10208308-deshaun.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Hopkins does a great job of getting open, even when he might not be open. Numerous times in the Texans\u2019 game Thursday night, he forced himself off of defensive backs to get open for Watson. Eventually he was called for pass interference in the fourth quarter, but it made a big difference.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"DAIJhv\"><strong>On this play, you can see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/nfl\/teams\/cincinnati-bengals\">Bengals<\/a> corner <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/nfl\/players\/245418\/darqueze-dennard\">Darqueze Dennard<\/a> nearly falling to his feet because of the spacing that Hopkins created:<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"e-image\"><picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1505476810_1213_20456\" data-cdata=\"{&quot;asset_id&quot;:9251857,&quot;ratio&quot;:&quot;*&quot;}\"><\/picture><\/figure>\n<p id=\"sDW4Ol\"><strong>Hopkins enjoyed what he saw out of Watson, too. \u201cHe was a leader,\u201d he said after the game. \u201cHe was a warrior. He was everything we expected, he was the guy that we drafted.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"HlppFH\"><strong>Watson targeted Hopkins 13 times during the game, eight more than the next closest Texan, which was <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/nfl\/players\/277085\/tyler-ervin\">Tyler Ervin<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"jITcea\"><strong>If Watson\u2019s going to be locked in on one receiver in the NFL, Hopkins isn\u2019t a bad choice.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"IWxvz7\"><strong>The Texans were on their longest drive of the game, when faced with a third-and-16 from Cincinnati\u2019s 35. The pocket collapsed on Watson, who was looking downfield. It was an opportune time for one of those patented rookie mistakes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"IQ3CLk\"><strong>Instead of trying to force a throw, he used his feet, and was able to pick up 11 yards before running out of bounds, giving Ka\u2019imi Fairbairn a 42-yard field goal as opposed to a 53-yarder.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"e-image\"><picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1505476810_5865_20458\" data-cdata=\"{&quot;asset_id&quot;:9251863,&quot;ratio&quot;:&quot;*&quot;}\"><\/picture><\/figure>\n<p><strong>The play seems like a no-brainer to armchair quarterbacks and Twitter head coaches, but there have been plenty of rookies who would have tried to force their hand there. Watson had the composure to make the smart play, and it put his team in a better position to win.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-13456\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mmqb-watson-draft-300x167.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mmqb-watson-draft-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mmqb-watson-draft-768x428.jpg 768w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mmqb-watson-draft-1024x570.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mmqb-watson-draft-1080x601.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/mmqb-watson-draft.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Derrick Deshaun Watson<sup id=\"cite_ref-nflcombine.net_1-0\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup>\u00a0 is an <a title=\"American football\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/American_football\">American football<\/a> <a title=\"Quarterback\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Quarterback\">quarterback<\/a> for the <a title=\"Houston Texans\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Houston_Texans\">Houston Texans<\/a> of the <a title=\"National Football League\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/National_Football_League\">National Football League<\/a> (NFL). He played <a title=\"College football\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/College_football\">college football<\/a> at <a title=\"Clemson Tigers football\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Clemson_Tigers_football\">Clemson<\/a> and led the team to a national championship game appearance in 2015 and a national championship win in 2016. He was selected by the Texans 12th overall in the <a title=\"2017 NFL Draft\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_NFL_Draft\">2017 NFL Draft<\/a>. In Watson&#8217;s first ever start he rushed for the teams only touchdown in a 13-9 win at home.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Watson was born on September 14, 1995. Watson attended <a title=\"Gainesville High School (Georgia)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gainesville_High_School_(Georgia)\">Gainesville High School<\/a> in <a title=\"Gainesville, Georgia\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gainesville,_Georgia\">Gainesville, Georgia<\/a>. Watson arrived at Gainesville in the Fall of 2010. Gainesville Head Coach Bruce Miller had planned to start a rising junior to quarterback his spread offense, but Watson won the starting spot. Deshaun Watson was the first freshman quarterback Coach Miller had ever started.\u00a0<sup id=\"cite_ref-foxcarolina.com_2-0\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup> During his career he set numerous state records, including total yards (17,134), total <a class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Touchdowns\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Touchdowns\">touchdowns<\/a> (218), career passing yards (13,077), and career passing touchdowns (155).\u00a0<sup id=\"cite_ref-3\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup> He also rushed for 4,057 yards and 63 touchdowns. Watson excelled in his junior year, winning a state championship and earning accolades such as Junior All-American, 2014 Player to Watch, and 2014 Top 100 Recruit.<sup id=\"cite_ref-go.com_4-0\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup> During his sophomore and senior years, he was able to lead the Gainesville High School Football Team to the state semi-finals.<sup id=\"cite_ref-5\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Watson received offers from numerous colleges before committing to Clemson. Some of the offers he considered most seriously came from schools such as the University of Alabama, Auburn University, Florida State University, University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Louisiana State University, Ohio State, University of Oregon, and University of Southern California. Watson verbally committed to Clemson on February 1, 2012. He was ranked the number one quarterback recruit for the 2014 class by ESPN 300.<sup id=\"cite_ref-go.com_4-1\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup> Since his commitment to Clemson University in 2012, Deshaun Watson has frequently been compared to Clemson\u2019s recently graduated, record-setting quarterback <a title=\"Tajh Boyd\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tajh_Boyd\">Tajh Boyd<\/a>. Both Watson and Boyd are considered dual-threat quarterbacks, earning consistent yards in both the passing and rushing stats. They also both ran the spread offense and were given the power to choose which play the team ran depending on what they saw in the defense prior to snapping the ball.<sup id=\"cite_ref-foxcarolina.com_2-1\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-13457\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/deshaunwatson123116-300x169.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/deshaunwatson123116-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/deshaunwatson123116-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/deshaunwatson123116.png 770w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Watson finished with 378 passing yards and two touchdowns against Florida State on October 29, 2016, rallying to a 37-34 win.\u00a0<sup id=\"cite_ref-13\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup> Against Syracuse on November 5, 2016, Watson had 169 passing yards with two touchdowns, but left the game with an apparent shoulder injury.<sup id=\"cite_ref-14\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup> In 2016, Watson was selected as the winner of the\u00a0<a title=\"Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Johnny_Unitas_Golden_Arm_Award\">Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award<\/a> and was the first repeat winner of the <a title=\"Manning Award\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Manning_Award\">Manning Award<\/a>.\u00a0<sup id=\"cite_ref-15\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup>For the second year in row, Watson was named one of five <a title=\"Heisman Trophy\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Heisman_Trophy\">Heisman Trophy<\/a> candidates, along with Michigan&#8217;s <a title=\"Jabrill Peppers\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jabrill_Peppers\">Jabrill Peppers<\/a>, Oklahoma&#8217;s <a title=\"Baker Mayfield\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Baker_Mayfield\">Baker Mayfield<\/a> and <a title=\"Dede Westbrook\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dede_Westbrook\">Dede Westbrook<\/a>, and Louisville&#8217;s <a title=\"Lamar Jackson\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lamar_Jackson\">Lamar Jackson<\/a>. For the second year in row, Watson came up short of winning the Heisman, as Louisville&#8217;s Lamar Jackson was awarded the Heisman Trophy for his efforts and performances throughout the 2016 season, finishing with nearly twice as many first place votes as Watson.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><sup id=\"cite_ref-16\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup> After defeating Ohio State 31\u20130 in the CFP semifinal (Fiesta Bowl) and receiving the offensive MVP award for his efforts, Clemson defeated No. 1 Alabama 35\u201331 in the <a title=\"2017 College Football Playoff National Championship\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_College_Football_Playoff_National_Championship\">2017 College Football Playoff National Championship<\/a>. Watson completed 36 of 56 passes and passed for 420 yards and three touchdowns against the nation&#8217;s number 1 ranked defense, including the last-second game-winner to wide receiver,\u00a0<a title=\"Hunter Renfrow\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hunter_Renfrow\">Hunter Renfrow<\/a>. He also rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown. This gave the <a title=\"Clemson Tigers\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Clemson_Tigers\">Clemson Tigers<\/a> program its second national championship in school history, ending a three-decade national championship drought. Watson was awarded the offensive MVP award for his performance during the national championship game.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>On November 8, 2016, Watson, along with three other Clemson players, namely <a title=\"Wayne Gallman\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wayne_Gallman\">Wayne Gallman<\/a>, <a title=\"Artavis Scott\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Artavis_Scott\">Artavis Scott<\/a>, and <a title=\"Mike Williams (wide receiver, born 1994)\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mike_Williams_(wide_receiver,_born_1994)\">Mike Williams<\/a>,\u00a0<sup id=\"cite_ref-18\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup> declared for the NFL Draft.\u00a0<sup id=\"cite_ref-19\" class=\"reference\"><\/sup>In December 2016, Watson graduated with a degree in Communications after three years at Clemson.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In 2006, when Watson was 11 years old, <a title=\"Atlanta Falcons\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Atlanta_Falcons\">Atlanta Falcons<\/a> running back <a title=\"Warrick Dunn\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Warrick_Dunn\">Warrick Dunn<\/a> donated a home to his family. It was donated through Dunn&#8217;s charity Homes for the Holidays (HMTH), who partnered with <a title=\"Habitat for Humanity\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Habitat_for_Humanity\">Habitat for Humanity<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"line-height: inherit;\">The Texans hadn\u2019t seen a run like that since 2014.\u00a0<span style=\"line-height: inherit;\">Deshaun Watson&#8217;s 49-yard TD was the longest rush by a Texans player since 2014 (Arian Foster 51-yard run against the Jaguars).<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"Nl2Jng\"><strong>An overlooked part of the run was that he even got a nice stiff arm in at the beginning of the run on\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/nfl\/players\/286127\/carl-lawson\">Carl Lawson<\/a>.<\/strong><\/div>\n<p id=\"ejQKql\"><strong>Putting a rookie quarterback in at the beginning of the season can be tough. But Watson showed that one of the reasons the Texans traded up to draft him No. 12 overall was his poise.\u00a0<\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/college-football\/2017\/1\/9\/14209282\/deshaun-watson-hit-alabama-clemson-2017-national-championship\">They also knew he could take a hit<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"HXVMGJ\"><strong>The above statement seems like an obvious thing. Hopkins is one of the best receivers in the NFL today, and that\u2019s not up for debate \u2014 but hear me out.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"bfPYl4\"><strong>Hopkins does a great job of getting open, even when he might not be open. Numerous times in the Texans\u2019 game Thursday night, he forced himself off of defensive backs to get open for Watson. Eventually he was called for pass interference in the fourth quarter, but it made a big difference.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"DAIJhv\"><strong>On this play, you can see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/nfl\/teams\/cincinnati-bengals\">Bengals<\/a> corner <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/nfl\/players\/245418\/darqueze-dennard\">Darqueze Dennard<\/a> nearly falling to his feet because of the spacing that Hopkins created:<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"e-image\"><picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1505476810_1213_20456\" data-cdata=\"{&quot;asset_id&quot;:9251857,&quot;ratio&quot;:&quot;*&quot;}\"><\/picture><\/figure>\n<p id=\"sDW4Ol\"><strong>Hopkins enjoyed what he saw out of Watson, too. \u201cHe was a leader,\u201d he said after the game. \u201cHe was a warrior. He was everything we expected, he was the guy that we drafted.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"HlppFH\"><strong>Watson targeted Hopkins 13 times during the game, eight more than the next closest Texan, which was <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/nfl\/players\/277085\/tyler-ervin\">Tyler Ervin<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"jITcea\"><strong>If Watson\u2019s going to be locked in on one receiver in the NFL, Hopkins isn\u2019t a bad choice.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"IWxvz7\"><strong>The Texans were on their longest drive of the game, when faced with a third-and-16 from Cincinnati\u2019s 35. The pocket collapsed on Watson, who was looking downfield. It was an opportune time for one of those patented rookie mistakes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"IQ3CLk\"><strong>Instead of trying to force a throw, he used his feet, and was able to pick up 11 yards before running out of bounds, giving Ka\u2019imi Fairbairn a 42-yard field goal as opposed to a 53-yarder.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"e-image\"><picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1505476810_5865_20458\" data-cdata=\"{&quot;asset_id&quot;:9251863,&quot;ratio&quot;:&quot;*&quot;}\"><\/picture><\/figure>\n<p><strong>The play seems like a no-brainer to armchair quarterbacks and Twitter head coaches, but there have been plenty of rookies who would have tried to force their hand there. Watson had the composure to make the smart play, and it put his team in a better position to win.<\/strong><\/p>\n<table class=\"infobox vcard\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a title=\"College Football Playoff National Championship\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/College_Football_Playoff_National_Championship\">CFP national champion<\/a> (<a title=\"2017 College Football Playoff National Championship\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_College_Football_Playoff_National_Championship\">2016<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Johnny_Unitas_Golden_Arm_Award\">Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award<\/a> (2016)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2\u00d7 <a title=\"Davey O'Brien Award\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Davey_O%27Brien_Award\">Davey O&#8217;Brien Award<\/a> (2015, 2016)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2\u00d7 <a title=\"Manning Award\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Manning_Award\">Manning Award<\/a> (2015, 2016)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"Atlantic Coast Conference football individual awards\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Atlantic_Coast_Conference_football_individual_awards\">ACC Player of the Year<\/a> (2015)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"Atlantic Coast Conference football individual awards\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Atlantic_Coast_Conference_football_individual_awards\">ACC Offensive Player of the Year<\/a> (2015)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Consensus <a title=\"College Football All-America Team\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/College_Football_All-America_Team\">All-American<\/a> (<a title=\"2015 College Football All-America Team\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2015_College_Football_All-America_Team\">2015<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><i><a title=\"USA Today\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/USA_Today\">USA Today<\/a><\/i> High School All-American (2013)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"ACC Athlete of the Year\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ACC_Athlete_of_the_Year\">ACC Athlete of the Year<\/a> (2016)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"Heisman Trophy\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Heisman_Trophy\">Heisman Trophy<\/a> Runner-up (2016)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"2017 ESPY Awards\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2017_ESPY_Awards\">ESPY for Best Male College Athlete<\/a> (2017)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div id=\"formatter-datter\" class=\"u-hidden-text\" data-cid=\"site\/entry_formatter-1505476810_6445_20460\" data-cdata=\"{&quot;pinterest_enabled&quot;:true}\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-related-list\" data-cid=\"site\/related_list-1505476810_5576_20464\" data-cdata=\"{}\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<figure class=\"e-image\"><canvas width=\"721\" height=\"406\"><\/canvas><\/figure>\n<div class=\"c-related-list\" data-cid=\"site\/related_list-1505476810_5576_20464\" data-cdata=\"{}\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a dream come true,&#8221; Watson told the NFL Network. &#8220;This is what I&#8217;ve been waiting for my whole life, and now is the time. We knew that it was going to be tough, and we had to work our way to the victory. I just want to thank all the guys for playing hard [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13458,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,8,1314,1456,1156,13,14,104,124,1,39,7,9,10],"tags":[2035,1522,2034,2033,1523,412,2032],"class_list":["post-13447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-entertainment","category-global-business-entrepreneurs","category-global-news-updates-and-more","category-global-sports","category-health","category-most-commented","category-ncaa","category-ncaa-football","category-news","category-nfl","category-sports","category-us","category-world","tag-deshaunwatson","tag-2016-clemson-tigers","tag-2016-2x-manning-award-2015","tag-cfp-national-champion-2016-johnny-unitas-golden-arm-award-2016-2x-davey-obrien-award-2015","tag-deshaun-watson","tag-houston-texans","tag-nfl-starting-quarterback-12","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13447"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13447\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}