"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.
We are officially one week away from the MLB trade deadline, and the Astros certainly could use a boost to the starting rotation. And while a top of the rotation starter would be nice, it might not be necessary for this club.
The Astros need some fresh arms to come in and eat some innings, so a back of the rotation starter might do the trick.
With that in mind, we discussed some options the Astros might consider, posed by The Athletic's Chandler Rome.
White Sox RHP Chris Flexen (ERA over 5!), Colorado’s LHP Austin Gomber (4.70 ERA) and A's RHP Paul Blackburn (currently pitching rehab starts in the minors).
Clearly, these guys aren't going to impress anyone with their numbers this season, but that's one of the reasons they could be available.
What about the offense?
If the Astros are interested in adding a big time bat, Rome believes Rays infielder Isaac Paredes (age 25) could be a good fit with his ability to play multiple positions on the infield, including first and third base. Which could come in handy if the Astros move on from Alex Bregman after the season.
However, a move like this wouldn't come cheap as Paredes was an All-Star this year, and hit 31 bombs in 2023.
Pallilo Points
Our own Charlie Pallilo also threw out some names the 'Stros could consider. Which include: Angels LHP Tyler Anderson (2.91 ERA), White Sox RHP Eric Fedde, or Blue Jays starters Chris Bassitt (3.71 ERA, big salary next year) and Yusei Kikuchi (rental, 4.54 ERA).
Finally, if the squad can't find the right deal for a starter, would they consider adding two relievers to bolster the bullpen? And if so, could we see the return of Yimi Garcia?
Don't miss the video above for our full trade deadline preview!
*Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.