Houston Texans: 3 Standouts from Week 1 vs. Saints

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Bill O'Brien of the Houston Texans calls a timeout during the first half of a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on September 09, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 09: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans scores a touchdown over Marcus Williams #43 of the New Orleans Saints in the second quarter at Mercedes Benz Superdome on September 09, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

1. QB Deshaun Watson

Once again, the talented signal-caller took a licking and kept on throwing…and running. It’s year number three for Houston Texans’ quarterback Deshaun Watson. And he did everything he could to lead his team to a win on Monday night at the Superdome.

The national champion hurler, sacked a league-high 62 times a season ago, was dropped six more times by the New Orleans Saints’ defense in prime time.

Watson certainly got the Texans off to a strong start. The club opened up a surprising 14-3 halftime lead as the talented performer opened the scoring on Monday night with a 21-yard touchdown run. He also hit on 12 of his 17 first-half throws for 129 yards, including a two-yard scoring toss to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

By game’s end, Watson finished with 268 yards through the air and three touchdowns, connecting on 20 of his 30 passes. There was one interception but when he was upright, he was clearly in command of Bill O’Brien’s attack.

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It’s safe to say that Watson showed his mettle late in the game. But a victory simply wasn’t in the cards for the Texans. If the team can get its pass-blocking issues settled, who knows what kind of numbers the talented quarterback and the Houston offense can put up this season.

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