Houston Texans: 3 Vital statistics for 2019 season

116

It was bad enough when the Houston Texans watched four different quarterbacks (Tom Savage, Deshaun Watson, T.J. Yates and Taylor Heinicke) be taken down a combined 54 times in 2017. The franchise did seek to improve its offensive line in free agency but the group never really jelled. And although the Texans did rebound from a 4-12 showing to finish 11-5 and win the AFC South this past season, it was Watson that was bounced around on a weekly basis.

The two-year signal-caller absorbed 62 sacks, also the most given up by one team in the NFL in 2018. Do the math and that’s a whopping 116 quarterback traps allowed in the club’s last 32 regular-season outings.

Of course, Watson took a licking and kept on running and throwing, serving up 26 scores through the air (nine interceptions) and five more on the ground. He finished with 76 of the club’s 105 rushing yards in the playoff loss to the Colts.

The Texans did finish eighth in the league in rushing yards per game (126.3 average). But the team’s young quarterback (sacked 84 times in 24 total contests, including playoffs) was credited with 99 carries for 551 yards on the ground and while the Texans certainly want to take advantage of his mobility, the team would certainly like to do a better job of keeping him out of harm’s way.