There’s a ton to prepare for in the NFL – but there’s usually one thing that stands out. Each week, I’ll tell you what needs to be the first thing the Panthers are prepping for – in Week 1, it was Aaron Donald. Week 2, it was Mike Evans. Last week, it was Kyler Murray. For this week’s edition of Job Number One, we’re here to look at reigning AFC Offensive Player of the Week Deshaun Watson.
The Panthers’ previous attempts at creating a swarm of pressure on the opposing quarterback was a tremendous success last week in the desert as they sacked Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray eight times while hitting him nine times as part of a 38-20 blowout victory last week, but this time they face a more experienced and nuanced foe.
Few players in the NFL can say they’re as exciting to watch as Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. In spite of some poor offensive line play – which, to be fair has improved a tad since the arrival of left tackle Laremy Tunsil, Watson has excelled to start the season, completing 65.6% of his passes for 778 yards, six touchdowns and only one interception for a 108.6 passer rating. These aren’t the stats of, say, Patrick Mahomes, but the former Clemson star should be commended for carrying this team to a 2-1 start.
Watson is famous for his breathtaking mobility and playmaking abilities, often escaping sacks and completing throws most starting quarterbacks wouldn’t dream of attempting. Along with Mahomes and a few other of the league’s best quarterbacks, he has helped revive the art of the deep pass – at least in my opinion. There’s so much to like about Watson as a quarterback, but not for this week if you’re the Panthers.
The creativity of Watson goes beyond just scrambling and chucking the ball down the field. There’s a great skill that comes with his level of aggression and awe-inspiring style of play. For this week’s edition of Job Number One, the Panthers must limit Watson’s impact on the game. With that said, let’s discuss Watson’s skillset.
Interestingly enough, his game against the Chargers perfectly displays all the things Panthers fans need to now about him, so this breakdown will take a look at how he led the Texans to the win.
First let’s get Watson’s scrambling ability out of the way, because this is the part most people in the NFL circle bring up the most. Watson is one of the best scrambling quarterbacks in the league, and on this 3rd-and-forever, he converted a first down with ease.
Seriously, it’s not easy to have this level of balance on the sideline while trying to get past the first down marker, on third down no less. But that’s just what Watson does on this play, and he does it exceptionally well.
Next, let’s get to Watson’s passing ability. With the way he’s been able to refine his mechanics and become more comfortable surveying the field, he’s arguably become a top 10 quarterback in the league.
To start off on analyzing Watson’s passing ability, let’s take a look at his first touchdown last week against the Chargers, which was on a spectacular play and throw from the third-year starter.
This pass travels in a straight arc, showcasing Watson’s confidence in the window he’s throwing to. A lesser quarterback would loft this up in the air – that’s if he even considered attempting this pass. Watson’s aggressive yet carefully thought out style of play makes him one of the few active quarterbacks to achieve this at the level he’s at.
(Also he picks up a botched snap without breaking a sweat as well).
Next, let’s move to the near end of the first half where the Texans have the ball with seemingly not enough time to put more points on the board. But as I’ve aforementioned, never count out Watson in these scenarios.
Not that firing this with 11 seconds left in the first half is unprecedented, but many quarterbacks would choose the conservative route and find a shorter route to throw to. Watson constantly wants the grand slam, something that will eat up a massive portion of yardage – that’s exactly where this play comes in.
Less highlighted is Watson’s play in the pocket, but in his third season, he looks sharper and more precise there. This 3rd-and-long situation, for example, explains Watson’s growth as a pocket passer flawlessly.
Under most cases, this pass would be easily picked off, but Watson’s velocity (which in retrospect turned out to be better than many of his critics around his rookie season realized) packs this into a tight window without any harm.
But Watson saved his most memorable play from last Sunday for his has last touchdown of the day, as illustrated below.
This is not a play you can find with a quarterback with the mobility of a skyscraper, but with a quarterback as fluid of a scrambler in Watson, he has all of that – and then some.
Now, Watson isn’t by any means a perfect quarterback. There are instances where he tries too hard to make something happen or holds onto the ball for way too long. This is one area where the Panthers’ secondary can take advantage of, helping unleash coverage sacks or “coverage pressure” if the line initially struggles to put the quarterback under duress.
The Texans can live with Watson holding onto the ball for a long time because the plays that work work at a significantly higher rate than the plays that don’t. But on the several instances where they don’t is where this could be a big day for a Panthers pass rush coming off a big performance.
Adjustments in the coverage in the second half led to confusion and sacks in Arizona – can the defense do the same thing in Houston?
Lastly, we can’t talk about Watson’s style of play without mentioning the guy that he connects with the most, and that’s fellow Clemson alum DeAndre Hopkins. One of the game’s superstars at the wide receiver position, Hopkins had to put up with lackluster quarterback play until Watson’s arrival. Since stepping on the scene in 2017, Watson and Hopkins have connected for 20 touchdowns (and that’s with Watson being forced to miss 9 games in his rookie season due to an ACL tear).
It should go without saying that Hopkins is a massive threat, and the Panthers secondary needs to be on their toes against this human cyborg. Let’s take a look at this touchdown against the Saints, for example.
The icing on top is this perfect pass from Watson. This is the future Hopkins earned after years of bad quarterback play.
All in all, Deshaun Watson clearly isn’t meant to be taken lightly. Similar to Cam Newton, he has done his part in transcending bad offensive line play and being the reason his team is almost guaranteed to be a postseason contender. Watson’s combination of mobility and aggressive deep passing ability make him one of the absolute best talents at the quarterback position,
The Panthers secondary needs to limit Watson’s explosiveness by forcing him to hold onto the ball, giving the pass rush time to pressure him. Of course, he can simply scramble out of the pocket if he can’t pass, so this could be easier said than done. But considering the last quarterback the Panthers defense faced was the extremely mobile Kyler Murray, there’s a chance they could apply the same rate of pressure to Watson.
That opportunity will not easily present itself.
