HOUSTON — Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson isn’t overthinking things as he prepares for his first game Sunday at New England since a season-ending knee injury last November.
The key to being successful this year is simple.
“Really just one thing,” he said. “Be me. That’s it.”
That approach helped Watson excel immediately as a rookie last season when he took over for Tom Savage at halftime of Houston’s season opener.
He made six starts after that, and finished with 1,699 yards passing and 19 touchdowns before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in practice in early November.
This will be Watson’s second trip to New England after he and the Texans came up just short in a 36-33 loss there last year. Watson, who was the 12th overall pick in last year’s draft, threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns, but what he remembers most about that game are the two interceptions he threw.
“We had the opportunity to put the game away and we didn’t,” he said. “Left too much time for Tom Brady. The interception I threw early on in the game. That was pretty much it.”
Though Watson’s rookie season was cut short, his injury didn’t end his learning and development. He was at the stadium almost every day, watching film, and talking to coaches and players to try and get better.
Watson isn’t concerned about his surgically repaired knee holding up after performing well after having the same surgery on the other knee in 2014.
“(I) don’t worry about it,” he said. “I trust my preparation that I’ve put in, trust the rehab and the things I did over the summer to get back to this point, and just go out there and cut it loose.”
BROWNS-STEELERS: The weather reports out of Cleveland are calling for winds up to 40 mph and as much as seven inches of rain.
• Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell continued his holdout Saturday, which was the deadline for him to report and not lose his Week 1 pay of approxomately $855,000.
49ERS: San Francisco placed linebacker Dekoda Watson on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Watson got hurt in practice. Watson will miss at least eight weeks before he can be activated.
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