Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh will face off against the Houston Texans in Week 2 in the NFL’s 2020 season, and the Super Bowl champion coach noted a unique challenge that Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson brings to the matchup:
“He actually holds the ball longer than anybody in the league,” Harbaugh said in a story by Michael David Smith on NBC Sports. “I think their offensive line does a good job; the scheme is part of that, but it’s really mainly him. And he does it to create opportunities for the pass game.”
Watson is a terrifying threat on offense, as he can buy time for deep throws with his legs while also opting to break off a jittery, elusive run of his own – putting up huge rushing numbers in each of the last two seasons.
In 2018, Watson produced 551 rushing yards on only 99 attempts with five touchdowns. And last season, he rushed for 413 yards on 82 attempts with an impressive seven touchdowns.
Of course, Watson’s go-to is heaving deep passes, and by holding the ball longer than most teams are expecting, he amassed 3,852 passing yards on 333 completions with 26 touchdowns last season.
Holding the ball longer on offense can also have its downsides, though. Watson led the league in being sacked in 2018 by getting wrapped up a whopping 62 times – which is fifth all-time in NFL history. That number dipped to 44 in 2019, but it still ranked sixth among all QBs.
Still, Watson is only 25 with a long career ahead of him – thanks to his unusual play style, per John Harbaugh.
Follow Us
Subscribe