When he lines up against Buffalo on Saturday, defensive end J.J. Watt’s primary responsibility will be putting pressure on Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Because Watt has missed so much time recovering from surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle — an injury he suffered in the Oct. 27 victory over Oakland — his snaps will be limited. How limited depends on how he feels and how he plays.
“I think we have a good plan,” Watt said after practice Wednesday as the Texans prepare for the wild-card playoff at NRG. “Today was my first day in pads. That’s something I wanted to go through because you have to go through some tests mentally to make sure you can do things you want to do. I feel good and confident.”
Nobody knows for certain what Watt will be able to contribute on the pass rush. His presence requires Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to concoct a game plan that makes containing Watt a priority. That usually requires using two blockers and sometimes three.
Watt is pumped and ready to take on all comers.
“I’m so exited to get back out there with my guys and do what I can to help the team win, whether it’s getting after the quarterback, in the run game or batting balls at the line,” he said.
Realistically, the Texans would like to see Watt impact the Bills’ passing game, whether it’s getting blocked by multiple defenders, disrupting Allen’s timing with his receivers or actually getting to the quarterback. Watt had four sacks and 20 quarterback hits when he was injured.
The Texans need all the pass rush help they can get. They have 31 sacks. Of the 12 playoff teams, only Seattle (28) has fewer sacks than the Texans. Outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus has a team-best 7½.
“I’d like to get some pass rushing reps out of him,” defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel said. “You’re looking at third down and two-minute, and we’ll see after that.”
Watt is in good physical condition, but to transform into good football condition after missing more than two months usually takes time.
“I don’t think we want to expose him too much if he’s not able to go at a good level,” Crennel said. “I think we’ll have to kind of measure where he is and how he’s doing. The medical people, once they clear a guy to play, we assume he can play.
“We’ll have to see how good it is and then try to make a determination about how long (he’ll play). He hasn’t played in eight games. Even though he’s been working with the strength and conditioning people, for football condition when you’re playing in a big game, your adrenalin picks up, and you get winded a little faster. We’ll have to see how it goes, and that’ll impact how much he plays.”
Watt knows the Bills will try to take advantage of his eagerness and the adrenalin rush he’ll experience because he’s returning from a two-month absence in a playoff game.
Allen will try to get Watt to jump offsides. The Bills will try to take advantage of him charging up the field by trapping him and running inside. They may try a reverse to catch him off guard.
“You have to use the adrenalin because it can help you do incredible things, elevate your game to a new level,” Watt said. “But you can tire yourself out or trick yourself into doing something you shouldn’t be doing when you think you’re going to make a big play.
“For me, it’s about balance and harnessing that energy and that excitement, but at the same time, remaining calm and focused on the task at hand and not letting it get away.”
If Watt could play every snap, he probably would have a profound effect on the run defense. In the eight games Watt started, the Texans allowed 85.3 yards rushing and 4.06 a carry. They were fifth in run defense and 20th overall (362.1 yards).
In the eight games Watt missed, the Texans allowed 156.7 yards rushing and 5.33 a carry. They finished the season 28th in defense (388.3), including 28th against the run (121.1).
“J.J. is good on runs to him and runs away from him,” Crennel said. “They don’t think he can catch them from behind, but he’s able to do that with his intensity, length and speed. If you had a healthy J.J., you’d have to say the run defense would improve.”
At Tuesday’s practice, Watt spoke to his teammates about the importance of the playoffs, and many of them pointed out how much it inspired them.
“He’s a leader,” Crennel said. “He’s excited about being able to come back. That doesn’t surprise me that he took a leadership role.”
Watt tried to play down his speech, but the message was clear: Seize the moment and take nothing for granted. He was glad to hear his teammates were impressed.
“Coming from teammates, that means a lot to me,” he said. “It’s what I felt needed to be said. It’s nice to know the message you’re trying to get across does hit home.”
Watt, cornerback Johnathan Joseph and snapper Jon Weeks are the only players who’ve been part of all five of the team’s playoff seasons. They won the AFC South for the fourth time in five years, but they have only one playoff victory to show for it in Bill O’Brien’s first five seasons.
Watt remembers 2011, his rookie year and the first season in which the Texans made the playoffs. There was a contagious buzz in the city, and it’s a buzz that’s been missing because fans want more than another division title.
“I didn’t ask for the buzz back — I want to earn it back,” Watt said. “There was something magical about that, and I want to create that again. The only way you do it is by winning. There’s no special sauce — you just have to win.”
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