"It was worth all the shi**y tough days" said Watt after the game
Watt's return helps spark Texans in comeback, OT win
Jan 4, 2020, 7:14 pm
"It was worth all the shi**y tough days" said Watt after the game
Texans Defensive End J.J. Watt
He's back! J.J. Watt made his return to the field in their playoff game against the Bills. This is how he fared gainst Buffalo.
J.J. Watt needs to dust the rust off, got tossed by Cody Ford on the play. pic.twitter.com/le5rf64lOK
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 4, 2020
Watt was used as a situational defensive lineman throughout the game. The team would sub him in on clear passing downs, though he was in during some Bills rushing plays as well. As you can see from the play above, Watt had a welcome back moment or two from the Bills offensive line.
The first half was fairly quiet for Watt. He drew an occasional double team but he didn't show up with an actual stat on the stat sheet.
JJ WATT IS SO BACK 🔥 @JJWatt pic.twitter.com/MvLvvBcbz7
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 4, 2020
The Texans had just fumbled. The offense looked dead. The Bills had a chance to make it a near insurmountable lead. Watt flashed on third down for his first recorded statistic of the day to force the Bills to take a field goal.
It was a vintage Watt sack. He was too fast for the lineman and rumbled past him to crush Allen. The Bills signal caller would be antsy in the pocket for a couple of series after this.
Bill O'Brien said after the game Watt's sack got the crowd back into the game. He also said Houston fans are great because they are "going to let you know when you're not playing well, and they're going to let you know when you are playing well."
TJ Watt is HYPE for big bro 🙌🙌 @_TJWatt @JJWatt pic.twitter.com/kXAeISMExy
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 4, 2020
J.J. Watt's brother T.J. Watt was in attendance. The younger Watt is a defensive player of the year candidate.
Forced incompletion by Watt. pic.twitter.com/t43q1MMJly
— Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) January 5, 2020
Watt would get into a groove later in the game forcing Allen to toss the ball away. He drew closer to his regular level of attention from the Bills offense as the second half went on.
J.J. Watt: "There were a lot of people who were questioning it or calling me crazy or telling me that I shouldn't be doing what I'm doing. But nobody knows what those feelings feel like ... so, quite frankly, I don't really care what anybody else says. I did it for those moments. pic.twitter.com/J4TzMReCTC
— Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) January 5, 2020
Watt made it clear after the game he came back to play with his teammates and he missed that feeling.
"We threw the plan out the window there in the fourth quarter and overtime," Watt said. He thanked the training and rehab staff for having him ready. He said he dove for a tackle and knew that moment he would know if his torn pectoral was going to remain healthy in the game.
Watt joked after the game he and the doctor hugged and neither knows how he held up for the game.
JJ Watt on what the plan was for him entering the game and how it went out the window in crunch time. #Texans @espn975 pic.twitter.com/TaF0djMb1s
— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) January 5, 2020
Watt said the plan was for him to be situational for pass rushing but they plan was done when the fourth quarter got there. He said he didn't rehab to be on the sidelines in crunch time. Watt did say sometimes it was tough to stay on the sidelines through the first three quarters but he stuck to the plan.
Houston Rockets (52-27) at Los Angeles Clippers (46-32)
Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. EDT | Inglewood, CA
Line: Clippers -6.5 | O/U: 219
The Houston Rockets head west to face the Los Angeles Clippers in a high-stakes Western Conference matchup between two teams hitting their stride at the right time.
What’s at stake:
With both teams locked into the top half of the playoff picture, Wednesday’s showdown could carry big implications for seeding. The Rockets have won eight of their last 10, surging into second place in the West. The Clippers, winners of five straight, are looking to secure home-court advantage in the first round.
Team comparisons:
Houston enters with a 31-18 mark against the Western Conference and has leaned on defense and rebounding, ranking fifth in the league in defensive boards per game (34.0), thanks largely to Alperen Sengun.
The Clippers, meanwhile, are 26-23 within the conference and have outscored opponents by 4.5 points per game on the season. They're averaging 112.6 points this season. And shooting a strong 50.9% from the field over their last 10 games.
Key players to watch:
By the numbers:
Injury watch:
Houston may be without Jabari Smith Jr. (groin), Fred VanVleet (ankle), and Sengun (back), while the Clippers could be without Kawhi Leonard, Amir Coffey, and Patty Mills.
Bottom line:
This could be a playoff preview, and with both teams in form, the game may come down to execution late. If the Rockets can control the boards and match LA’s shot-making, they’ll have a shot to leave Inglewood with a big win.
*ChatGPT assisted.
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