DeShaun Watson Shines During NFL Debut

DeShaun Watson made waves during his NFL debut on Wednesday night, awing fans and opponents alike with an impressive preseason opener. Watson, a first-round draft pick for the Houston Texans, made a clear case that he’d be an effective starting quarterback in lieu of Tom Savage, whom he substituted for.

While the Texans lost the preseason opener to the Carolina Panthers in a 27-17 blow, Watson’s flare on the field stood out as the most impressive show of the night. Watson, a runner-up for the highly-coveted Heisman trophy, completed 15 of his 25 passes for a total of 179 yards.

Watson didn’t get a chance to play on the field until the second quarter of the game but shined the moment he hit the turf. Tom Savage, the Texans regular starting QB, completed 9 of 10 passes, totaling 69 yards before handing the ball over to Watson.

The Texans committed 12 penalties on their first-quarter touchdown drive, however, signaling that the team and Watson both have a way to go if they intend to dominate during the regular season. In a post-game interview, Watson himself seemed undeterred by the loss.

“This is professional football, this is the highest level of this sport,” Watson told Chron. “It’s going to be faster, bigger guys, smarter guys. At the same time, I’m doing the same thing they’re doing: watching film and trying to play fast.”

Watson, who previously led Clemson to a national title, has garnered a number of headlines speculating that he could oust current quarterback Tom Savage and take over himself.

“Watson needed only one game to prove he should be the Texans starting QB,” one USA Today Sports headline read. Watson is “the talk of the NFL,” heralded another from the New York Post.

Texans Head Coach Bill O’Brien poured similar praise onto Watson. “First game out there I thought he did some big things. It is a big jump from college to the NFL. I thought he handled it pretty well,” O’Brien said, per the NFL website. “He could’ve played a little bit better on certain plays, but overall I thought he handled himself pretty well for his first time out,” O’Brien concluded.

[Featured Image by Grant Halverson/Getty Images]