Houston Texans: Time for J.J. Watt to prove ‘NFL Top 100’ wrong

The Houston Texans spent much of the 2016 season with J.J. Watt sidelined due to injury, but now he has something to prove to everyone.

There were a number of remarkable feats that the Houston Texans pulled off in the 2017 season. For one, they were able to make the playoffs with Brock Osweiler as their starting quarterback. Perhaps even more impressive, though, the Texans made the postseason and had one of the better defenses in the NFL without J.J. Watt on the field.

By most accounts, Watt is one of the best defenders — if not the very best — in the league. So for the Texans to be able to step up on that side of the ball without him is truly impressive. However, the big defensive lineman is now healthy and ready to wreak havoc on offenses.

Of course, if you ask the NFL’s annual “Top 100” list, he’s going to take a substantial nose-dive from his previous highs as a defender. As they continued revealing their rankings on Monday, Watt came in at No. 35. Since this list is supposed to project for the upcoming season, Watt took a bit of offense to dropping that far after being injured in 2016:

Many players and fans alike would agree that the list is a joke. Some would even argue the validity of the statement that the players vote for the rankings. However, there’s no question that Watt obviously feels slighted by this.

Pop quiz: How do you make one of the most ferocious, tenacious and determined defenders on the planet even more dangerous? You give him something to prove, to motivate him.

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Yes, the “Top 100” list is wholly trivial. But athletes thrive on this type of thing. They may say it doesn’t mean anything, but when Watt sees that, there’s something in the competitive wiring of his mind that tells him he’s being doubted. And considering the work he’s put in to become a force in Houston, that’s a scary proposition for the rest of the league.

In the four seasons prior to his injury plagued 2016 campaign, Watt totaled a ridiculous 69 sacks. That includes two seasons of 20.5 sacks. Hell, even in only three games at less than 100 percent, he still managed 1.5 sacks last season. He’s a pass-rushing force on the interior of the Texans line. And now he’s looking to prove that hasn’t gone away.

When it was announced that Watt would miss the rest of the season last year, the thought seemed to be that it was a move to preserve him long-term. As such, there should be little concern about his health coming into 2017. Now that he’s fully healthy, chances are he was already looking to re-establish himself. For good measure, his mental fire is now burning hotter.

Next: NFL 2017: Ranking the 30 best pass rushers

So when an opposing quarterback is getting buried in the dirt by J.J. Watt this season, they can — at least in part — thank the “Top 100” list. And if I had to guess, Watt won’t anywhere outside of the top 10 anytime soon in forthcoming rankings.