Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans: Preseason Scouting Report

Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson looked strong in his first NFL preseason game

Playing in his first game donning an NFL helmet, 12th-overall pick Deshaun Watson flashed signs of being a franchise quarterback Wednesday evening.

In the Texans, 27-17 loss to Carolina Watson shined while getting the majority of Houston’s snaps under center. Completing 15-25 passes Watson threw for 179 yards and rushed for a touchdown late in the third quarter.

Coming out of Clemson as a national champion many questioned whether Watson could translate his dual-threat style to the NFL. Despite playing against Carolina’s backups Wednesday evening Watson gave fans a glimpse of what to expect this year.

Head coach Bill O’Brien dialed up several short-yard passes for Watson to help him get acclimated to the NFL’s speed and power. His first play was a play-action play rolling to his right while keeping his eyes down the field for a six-yard dump pass.

The next play his struggles down the field became evident with a missed pass to an open Evan Baylis. Watson consistently showed trouble with his deep ball and having a lack of touch beyond 10 yards.

A similar play midway through the second quarter where Watson rolled out and threw down the field emphasized the lack of touch as he overthrew Wendall Williams.

O’Brien continued to have Watson use his athleticism on a roll out with 4:25 left in the second where Watson hit UDFA Riley McCarron on a run and dump throw for a first down on second-and-six.

Late into the first half, Watson had the Texans down by the endzone where, yet again, he used his feet to his advantage. While extending the play enough not to waste time on the clock, Watson smartly threw the ball out of the endzone both times.

Finally with two seconds left Watson was able to extend a hail mary play by navigating the pocket, but he could only connect with Dres Anderson along the sideline.

In the second half, Watson returned with a couple of excellent out-route throws, one being dropped along the sideline by McCarron. Watson continued to show excellent accuracy with short range throws, while missing open receivers down the field with several overthrows.

Perhaps the most impressive play of hte night was Watson’s 15-yard touchdown run with a minute left in the third quarter where he recognized a wide open field in front of him. After stepping up in the pocket Watson took off and split two linebackers for the score.

The only negative on the play was the lack of ball protection from Watson, who ran with the ball in one hand like a loaf of bread. That will lead to a fumble 9 times out of 10.

Watson would work his way into the fourth quarter before Brandon Weeden received snaps in the final drives.

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So in his first preseason game, here’s what I was able to take away from Watson. The deep ball accuracy is still an issue, and the lack of touch comes with it. His athleticism translated beautifully on the play-action bootlegs, and O’Brien will use those on second/third and short plays this year if Watson starts.

Coming out from under center Watson’s footwork still needs refinement, which is expected coming out of Clemson.

Watson did keep his eyes down the field on the bootleg and scramble plays, but constantly stared down receivers in short yardage. If he starts this year, expect a lot of interceptions with cornerbacks jumping the pass and potentially taking the ball to the house.

Next: Texans at Panthers: Three Takeaways

Ultimately there was a lot to like from the rookie quarterback, and Texans fans should be happy with the performance. I do expect to see Watson handle the starting job at some point this year, whether or not it’s directly out of training camp is yet to be seen. But for now, the Texans have done a great job getting the first “O’Brien” quarterback ready for a long NFL career.