If getting shut out by the New England Patriots and a quarterback that would have trouble making an Arena League roster wasn’t bad enough, the Houston Texans were officially served notice Wednesday that their 2016-17 season was officially sliding down the toilet drain when the team placed All-Universe defensive lineman J.J. Watt on injured reserve.
Adversity sucks.
Your attitude towards it doesn't have to.
I will be back. pic.twitter.com/56lhtHYs7r— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) September 28, 2016
While it might seem like hyperbole to say he’s ruined a Texans’ season that already looked like it had turned to shit, it also happens to be true. It’s not a knock on Watt that he tried to come back too fast from offseason back surgery. It’s a knock on head coach Bill O’Brien and his staff that they let him.
Let’s be clear. When I write “offseason back surgery” I’m not talking about something that happened in February. No, Watt went under the knife on July 22. That’s barely two months ago. The man is superhuman, but it’s asking a lot to play defensive line in the NFL when your surgery scar hasn’t even closed. Watt was supposed to miss the whole first month of the regular season. Instead, he’s played in every game.
JJ Watt on IR with re-injury of same disk in his back for which he underwent surgery on July 22, per source. He's seeking a second opinion
— Ed Werder (@EdwerderRFA) September 28, 2016
Now that he’s on injured reserve he’ll have time to actually heal. The Texans can’t take Watt off the injured reserve list until Week 12 and by that time, their season will probably already be over. Which is a shame.
This is a good Texans team. The roster is solid and, last Thursday’s performance aside, I think Brock Osweiler was a solid and smart pick up at quarterback. This team is ready to compete. They’re just missing one thing; a head coach.
And, really, an entire coaching staff. Last Thursday I was putting the final touches on the TNF Live Blog when Houston defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel popped up on the screen. I immediately mouthed out loud to myself, “Oh no.”
How good has @JJWatt been? In 2014 & 2015 he had 38 sacks. Over those same 2 seasons the entire @Falcons TEAM, had 41
— trey wingo (@wingoz) September 28, 2016
When the Texans don’t make the playoffs this year, and they won’t, there can’t be any urge to blame Watt’s injury or extended absence. It will be on the coaching staff and on O’Brien in particular. The good news for Houston is there are coaches out there right now that could work magic with that roster. Mike Shanahan would be the first guy I would call.
For Watt, he needs to be forced to take it easy and let his body recover. Not only is he the face of the Texans franchise, Watt is one of the faces of the NFL. This isn’t a problem that needs to linger into next season. Let it heal up, even if he has to sit out all seasons. It’s not going to make a difference in Houston anyway.
Bryant has hairline fracture in knee
It’s almost crazy to write this, but I will. Dez Bryant might miss a couple of games for the Dallas Cowboys and I think the team will be OK. Last week Bryant still played after injuring his knee against the Chicago Bears, finishing with three catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. Bryant’s injury could take three weeks to heal, but the Cowboys aren’t ready to write off his gameday participation yet.
“He (Bryant) has a slight hairline fracture in one of the bones of his knees,” Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett told reports Wednesday. “We don’t think it’s something that’s going to keep him out an extended period of time, but again, it’s going to be a day-by-day, week-by-week situation.”
#Cowboys WR Dez Bryant has hairline fracture of bone in right knee. No surgery required. Typical players recover in 1-3 weeks
— Ed Werder (@EdwerderRFA) September 28, 2016
The good news for the Cowboys is they play the San Francisco 49ers this week and limiting Bryant, even if he suits up, should be easy against one of the worst teams in the NFL. It will be significantly harder to hold Bryant out against the Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles over the next three weeks.
Regardless, Bryant can’t afford any setbacks, especially with the murderer’s row schedule the Cowboys face down the stretch. They need him healthy in November so maybe shutting him down for a couple of weeks isn’t such a bad idea. Bryant tried to come back from an injury too early last year and ended up getting hurt again, just like J.J. Watt did this year. It’s not worth your postseason. Gut out some wins, Cowboys, and maybe look at adding another playmaking wideout in the next draft.
#Cowboys WR Dez Bryant has stayed off his knee, on crutches today. How he responds to treatment to game-time will determine whether he plays
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 28, 2016
