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This morning, the Houston Texans placed three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt on injured reserve. Watt is eligible to return in Week 12, but there is some concern that he'll miss the rest of the season.
In his press conference following the move, Texans head coach Bill O'Brien was quick to answer any questions about how Houston plans to replace Watt:
“You can never replace the best player in the NFL.”
Well put.
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Watt underwent surgery on his back in the offseason, and he worked his tail off to start Week 1. Some pundits believe that Watt was rushed back onto the field before his body was physically ready, but O'Brien made it clear that J.J. passed every necessary medical test:
“J.J. did absolutely everything he could do to get back on the field. He followed his doctors orders… passed every test.”
Injuries are part of the fabric of the NFL. Usually, teams find a way to fill in their roles and adjust the gameplan accordingly. That just isn't possible with a player of Watt's caliber.
The Texans are 2-1, coming off of a rough 27-0 defeat at the hands of the Patriots. If they still want to challenge for the playoffs, they need everybody else to step up and produce in all three phases of the game.
