Could next season be the one for Watson? A few have done it before in year four
Watson could join elite company with Super Bowl run in fourth season
Jan 22, 2020, 1:53 pm
Deshaun Watson was magical in the win. Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
The Countdown to "Mahomes Magic" vying for Lombardi's Prize is rapidly approaching. His arrival and amazing ascension to becoming the "face" of the NFL has been meteoric in nature. So the obvious question for us in Houston, is "how" can Deshaun Watson next year land on center stage representing the AFC at next year's Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa? For Deshaun, he'll be entering his fourth NFL season. Have no fear Texans fans, there have been a handful of quarterbacks who have won an NFL Title in their fourth campaigns.
January 12th, 1969 - Joe Namath
Joe Namath in his 4th season, was an 18 point underdog, led the Jets to one of the games biggest upsets, beating the heavily favored Colts by a score of 16-7. What made this even more remarkable, was that the Colts in the previous round had defeated the Cleveland Browns by a score of 34-0. Namath was not "amazing" that day, completing 17 of 28 passes for a mere 206 yards, but it was "enough" to claim MVP honors at the Miami Orange Bowl. The Jets failed to defend their title the following year, eventually losing to Hank Stram's Cheifs in Super Bowl IV. (The last time Kansas City appeared in a Super Bowl contest)
January 26th, 1986 - Jim McMahon
Jim McMahon "The Punky QB" aided with Buddy Ryan's famed 46 Defense, and a the league's #1 rushing attack, trounced the New England Patroits in his 4th NFL Season by a score of 46-10. A late hit by Charles Martin during the 86' Regular Season resulted in a separated shoulder, placing Mad Mac on the shelf, and essentially ending the Bears quest for a repeat.
February 3rd, 2008 - Eli Manning
Similar to Namath and the Jets upset in 69', this game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in NFL History. New England was installed as a -12 point favorite on this day and were chasing perfection, having completed a perfect regular season, and post season. Eli Manning in his fourth year pulled off the miracle, as the Giants were merely a wildcard entry into the playoffs. Prior to this upset, a NFC Wildcard had never captured a Super Bowl Title. Eli threw for 255 yards, and a pair of touchdowns, the most memorable coming in the final moments when David Tyree made the remarkable "helmet catch" in a 17-14 upset victory.
So Houston, fear not !!! A QB can take a franchise to Super Bowl Glory in his 4th season!!!! Or in the case of Patrick Mahomes, possibly as early as a third!
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The Houston Astros open a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park. Houston, sitting atop the AL West with a 77-66 record, looks to bolster its postseason positioning, while Oakland (62-82) aims to play spoiler as the season winds down.
Pitching Probables
The Astros will send Spencer Arrighetti (7-12, 4.82 ERA) to the mound. Arrighetti has shown flashes of brilliance this season with 151 strikeouts but has struggled with consistency, sporting a 1.43 WHIP. He’ll face Osvaldo Bido (5-3, 3.41 ERA) for the Athletics, who has been a reliable arm in the Oakland rotation, posting a 1.09 WHIP and 63 strikeouts.
Astros overview
Houston, with a solid 41-30 home record, will rely on their bats and deep lineup to back Arrighetti. Yordan Alvarez continues to power the offense, tallying 31 doubles and 32 home runs on the season. Mauricio Dubon has also been hot, hitting .464 over his last 10 games. The Astros boast the eighth-best on-base percentage in the majors (.321), which will be key against Oakland’s pitching.
Athletics overview
Oakland has struggled on the road this year, going 26-43 away from the Coliseum. Brent Rooker, the A’s top power hitter with 35 home runs, will need to stay hot to give his team a chance. Shea Langeliers has also been productive lately, with three home runs in his last 10 games. The A’s have allowed 58 losses in games where they've given up a home run, a troubling stat heading into a series against Houston’s potent lineup.
Recent form
The Astros are 6-4 over their last 10 games with a 3.31 team ERA, outscoring their opponents by 10 runs. Oakland has gone 4-6 in their last 10, allowing a 4.73 ERA while being outscored by 17 runs during that stretch. Houston leads the season series 7-3, and they'll look to continue their dominance over their division rival as they aim for a strong postseason push.
Betting line
Houston is favored at -187 with the over/under set at 8 1/2 runs, reflecting expectations of a potentially high-scoring game.