The Houston Texans have had a less than ideal start to their season, amassing a 1-6 record thus far. Not only that, but they also fired their coach/GM, and now look very much like a team starting over. And for star Defensive End, J.J. Watt, rebuilding isn’t something he’s interested in.
In an interview with ESPN, Watt was asked directly if he believes he’ll finish his career in Houston.
“I don’t think it’s any secret that I don’t have 10 years left in this league,” Watt said. “I personally believe that I do have a few more great ones left in me. But you also can’t … I’m not looking to rebuild. I’m looking to go after a championship, and that’s what I want to do. So, whatever is in the best interest of the Houston Texans, that’s in the best interest of myself.”
If you’ve taken any time at all to watch Houston this season, then you could definitely understand where Watt is coming from. Watt only has has one season left on his contract extension, worth $17.5 million. And, since none of that money guaranteed, it could be agreeably from both Watt and the Texans organization to part ways in the event of a full-on rebuild.
But, if a rebuild is the way they’re planning to go, Houston has a long road ahead of them. With no first- or second-round pick next year, and the need to hire a new GM, a rebuild could take several years.
Now, by no means am I saying that Watt is in the wrong for wanting to leave. Watt is like the Mother Teresa of Football. And players like Watt, who have done so much in the Houston community, obviously prefer to win with the franchise they have committed their careers to. However, after six AFC South titles (with only four playoff wins), Watt isn’t blind to the fact that it could take more time than he has left for Houston to claw its way back to the top of the division.
“Early in your career, you think life goes on forever,” Watt said. “Obviously, we win our first-ever division, our first-ever playoff game in my first year. In the second year, we go 12-4, and you think that life’s going to be great and you’re just going to keep getting better and better. And then you go 2-14 and the reality of the business side of the NFL and the reality of all the things that come along with it hit you in the face. And you realize that, oh, this isn’t all roses all the time. And then you look at the last seven years or so. And yeah, we won some division championships and that’s great, but that’s not the goal. That’s not the goal.
“And your goal can’t be to make the playoffs. Your goal can’t be to win one or two playoff games. If your goal is not to win the Super Bowl, and your goal is not to do everything in your power to make that happen, and make your organization in the best possible situation for that, then that’s not going to happen. So that is my goal. That’s why the work goes in. That’s why I fought back from all these injuries. Because that’s the goal, and that’s what I’m still working towards.”
As a fan of the man, I wish J.J. the best! I know that no one in the NFL deserves a championship more than that man, and as a fan of the game, you’d love to see it happen! Hopefully, things will fall in his favor and he’ll get to ride off into the sunset as a Super Bowl Champion!
Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below! As always, thanks for reading! Peace!
Likely #1 NFL Draft Pick, Trevor Lawrence drops back for a pass.
Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence is leaving the door open about his football future despite previously saying he planned on heading to the NFL after this, his junior season.
The 6-foot-6 Lawrence, considered the likely No. 1 pick in next spring’s NFL draft, said he hasn’t ruled out returning to Clemson for another year instead of going pro.
“My mindset has been that I’m going to move on,” Lawrence said Tuesday. “But who knows? There’s a lot of things that could happen.”
At the forefront could be which NFL team is in line to draft Lawrence. Right now, that’s the New York Jets, who are 0-7 and the league’s only winless team.
“For me, it’s out of my control,” Jets quarterback Sam Darnold said last week about the possibility of the Jets selecting Lawrence with the No. 1 pick. “I’m here to do my best and help this team win games.”
Lawrence, from Cartersville, Georgia, has a 31-1 record as a starting college quarterback and has the top-ranked Tigers (6-0) in line for a sixth consecutive ACC title and trip to the College Football Playoff.
Lawrence is scheduled to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in marketing in December.
“No matter where I go — whether that’s across the country or whether it’s close to home, whether I stay another year — we’ll work it out,” Lawrence said.
Last week, I didn’t do so hot. There were a lot of surprising outcomes! This week, I’m back at it with my predictions for week 7!
GAME 1:
Panther at Saints
I’ve heard several people refer to this as the “Teddy Bridgewater Revenge Game”. While I don’t agree that that is an accurate description of Teddy and his relationship with the Saints, I have to think that without their #1 and #2 WR’s, the Saints will have to lean heavily on Kamara. If the Panthers gameplan to stop the run, they should come out on top.
Prediction: Panthers
GAME 2:
Bills at Jets
This one is a no-brainer. The Jets have given no indication that they pose a threat to anyone whatsoever this season. On the other hand, the Bills have been one of the most unstoppable forces in football. It would take some kind of strange miracle for the Jets to stand any chance in this one.
Prediciton: Bills
GAME 3:
Browns at Bengals
The Battle of Ohio! This matchup has already happened once this season, and it was a real shootout! I expect that we’re going to see more of the same excitement. If I was to lean on the side of talent and potential, I would have to go with Cleveland. Although Cleveland has burned me before, and I may regret the decision, I have to go with the potential for a big game.
Prediction: Cleveland
GAME 4:
Cowboys at Washington Football Team
I’m going to take a flyer here. The Dallas defense has been nothing short of abysmal this year. And although Washington is far from perfect, I’m willing to take a chance on the young and hungry team in this situation. They have nothing to lose at this point!
Prediction: Washington
GAME 5:
Packers at Texans
If there’s anything that we can learn from past experience, it’s that an angry Aaron Rodgers is a scary Aaron Rodgers! Coming off of arguably one of his worst games of the season, he’s going to be out for blood! Houston is far too dysfunctional of an organization at this time to put any real faith in. They have the talent to pull off an upset every now and then, but I don’t think they’re going to get past the buzz saw of a Aaron Rodgers lead offense this time!
Prediction: Packers
GAME 6:
Lions at Falcons
At various times in the season, I’ve regularly picked against both of these teams. So now the prospect of having to pick for one of them has me very very befuddled! I guess that the one thing that makes me feel confident in Atlanta over Detroit in this situation is that Atlanta has Julio Jones! And sometimes one big player making one big play is all that it takes.
Prediction: Falcons
GAME 7:
Steelers at Titans
This has potential to be the matchup of the week, possibly even the year! Both of these teams are absolute juggernaut and have both been on a warpath this year. One of their streaks will end this week and no matter who you’re cheering for you know that it’s going to be a slugfest all the way until the end! My personal preference leans towards a strong running game, therefore I have to give a slight edge to Tennessee in this situation.
Prediction: Titans
GAME 8:
Buccaneers at Raiders
As a former Bay Area kid, I’ve been very much looking forward to this matchup all year! It has very very strong underlying implications! The Raiders fan base knows this match up very well. After an embarrassing loss to the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl, the Raiders would love nothing more than to get revenge for the shellacking that was bestowed upon then in the past! It’s also interesting in that Jon Gruden who was the Buccaneers coach at the time of the Super Bowl victory is now the Raiders head coach. And of course, there’s Tom Brady… unless you were living under a rock, then you remember the notorious “tuck rule” game. The Raiders and their fanbase certainly have a special place for Brady in their hearts… usually picking against Tom Brady is not the greatest idea. But in this case, with the Raiders coming off of a victory over the Chiefs, they have all of the momentum. They get the slight edge.
Prediction: Raiders
GAME 9:
Chiefs at Broncos
You know, there was a time not so long ago when this would have been a very intriguing matchup. However the Denver teams of late have fallen very flat. The Kansas City offense is such an overwhelming force, that I find it hard to believe that Denver we’ll have any luck against it. They could prove me wrong, but I have a very hard time picking against Kansas City at this point, especially since a lot of people have picked them to be repeat Super Bowl champions.
Prediction: Chiefs
GAME 10:
Jaguars at Chargers
Let’s face it, neither one of these teams is very exciting. They both have a real lack of star power, as well as mediocre offense and defense. On the positive side, both of these teams are led by young & hungry quarterbacks. So there is a potential that we could see a quarterback shootout in some sense. This matchup is a real coin toss. So my prediction is going to be based on overall body of work, and since the Chargers have had success more recently than the Jaguars have, I will give them the edge this week.
Prediction: Chargers
GAME 11:
49ers at Patriots
If this were last season, this would have been a matchup between two of the most elite offensive and defensive teams in the NFL. But wow how much can change in a year? Quite a lot actually! Both of these teams have suffered their fair share of injuries this year, whether it’d be on the field or covid-19 related. This is going to be a battle between to battered and broken opponents. It’s really going to come down to who has the bigger will to win. The 49ers were able to overcome a very tough Rams team last week, and it seems like the Patriots have been in a slow death spiral. So, I have to give the ever-so-slight edge to San Francisco.
Prediction: 49ers
GAME 12:
Seahawks at Cardinals
Since Week 1, the Seahawks have been my pick to go all the way to the Super Bowl this year for the NFC. And so far, they haven’t disappointed! Russell Wilson is having an MVP season, he’s even achieved the status of being a member of the 99 club for the Madden video game franchise. The Seahawks are clicking on all cylinders, and the offense and defense both look spectacular! On the other end we have a team that is starting to find their stride. Led by the young Kyler Murray, the Arizona offense is starting to come into its own. The defense has been surprisingly good this season, making the Cardinals look like a very well-rounded team. And although I think that the Cardinals time will come soon, I’ve never picked against the Seahawks, and I won’t start now!
Prediction: Seahawks
GAME 13:
Bears at Rams
I’ll start with the Rams. The Rams have been doing good this season, don’t get me wrong. But I’m not convinced. Their strength of schedule has lean strongly in their favor, and although they’ve had some very good victories, I think ultimately they are still lacking in a few areas as a team. On the other side, the Bears have been the surprise of the year! Nick Foles has once again found new life as the backup starting quarterback. This is a role that he has thrived in everywhere he has gone. And I’m convinced if it wasn’t for injury, he would have had a great year in Jacksonville as well. The Bears defense is scary, and the offense under Foles has been lights out. With all this momentum they have, I find it very hard to pick against Chicago in this situation.
Prediciton: Bears
And there you have it! I feel pretty confident that I will do better this week than I did last week haha! As we all know, the NFL is very unpredictable, but it sure is fun to give it a shot!
Once again, thank you all for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments below, and don’t forget to please like and share this blog! You guys are the best! Peace!
HELLO EVERYONE! We are back!!! And now better than ever! I have transitioned from a Sacramento Kings blog, to an all sports blog! I’m excited for this new venture! Check it out!
Starting our new era with week 6 NFL predictions:
Game 1:
HOU vs. TEN
Winner: TEN
Game 2:
BAL vs. PHI
Winner: BAL
Game 3:
ATL vs. MIN
Winner: MIN
Game 4:
CLE vs. PIT
Winner: PIT
Game 5:
CIN vs. IND
Winner: IND
Game 6:
DET vs. JAX
Winner: DET
Game 7:
CHI vs. CAR
Winner: CAR
Game 8:
WAS vs. NYG
Winner: WAS
Game 9:
DEN vs. NE
Winner: NE
Game 10:
NYJ vs. MIA
Winner: MIA
Game 11:
GB vs. TB
Winner: GB
Game 12:
LAR vs. SF
Winner: LAR
Game 13:
KC vs. BUF
Winner: KC
Game 14:
ARI vs. DAL
Winner: ARI
I know I have a few upsets here, but hey, that’s what makes it fun! Let me know what you think in the comments! Agree? Disagree? What say you? Enjoy!
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