Deshaun Watson is making his first career NFL start, and in the second quarter, he had one hell of a drive that included two big plays, and one gigantic hit.
After completing a deep pass to DeAndre Hopkins on the previous play, Watson stepped back, and Geno Atkins introduced him to the turf. It was one of those Welcome To The NFL hits that rookie quarterbacks get.
That was a vicious hit — but Watson answered in the best way possible, with a 49-yard touchdown rush.
The best part about the run might have just been that behind the back stiff arm that Watson delivered to Bengals linebacker Carl Lawson.
This type of play is exactly the kind SB Nation’s Alex Kirshner said Watson brought to the table, as opposed to Tom Savage earlier this week:
Watson is a good athlete, and he’s capable of making a few yardage pickups with his legs if he needs to. He’s not a scrambler, and Bill O’Brien’s not going to install the option to the extent Watson used it at Clemson. But he’s at least an ambulatory person back there, whereas Savage is a 27-year-old who moves like he’s about 47. Watson had 16 rushing yards on Sunday, clearing Savage’s career total of exactly 12.
If you’re going to get popped like Watson did against Atkins, that’s fine. We know the Texans’ offensive line hasn’t been great, but Watson took matters into his own hands and found the end zone for his first rushing touchdown of his career.
Though as we have seen in the past, vicious hits aren’t something that Watson hasn’t seen before. The end result has gone in his favor, too.