National Football League

Garafolo's Sunday Wrap: Watt's surging Texans just won't go away

Published Nov. 30, 2014 11:15 p.m. ET

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Mike Garafolo

Two years ago, as he was chasing the single-season sack record and batting away roughly a pass per game, J.J. Watt engaged in the MVP conversation.

Watt stumped for himself a bit, saying he believes a defensive player can impact a game just as much as an offensive player. He thought he had as good of a chance as any defensive player to win the award since Lawrence Taylor last did it in 1986 and told me, "If I'm not even in the discussion, I think it's going to be tough for any (defensive player) to ever get into the discussion again."

This year, Watt is building a different kind of MVP résumé, one that might make him more attractive to voters because he's doing what offensive players do: score.

In Sunday's 45-21 victory over the Tennessee Titans, Watt found the end zone for the fifth time this season, and in doing so became the first defensive lineman in NFL history with three or more offensive scrimmage touchdowns and two or more defensive touchdowns in a season. He did so by catching a 1-yard touchdown on a quick out route from Ryan Fitzpatrick, a play set up by Watt's strip sack, fumble recovery and 14-yard return after he knocked the ball out of Jake Locker's hand.

After a performance like that, it's not surprising Watt left the field to chants of "M-V-P" from the home fans.

"I'm fortunate. We have a great fan base here, and they've always been supportive, so I appreciate them," Watt told FOX Sports by phone shortly after the Texans wrapped up their sixth victory of the season. "But like I've always said about awards and things like that, I can only control what I can control -- how I play, how I prepare, how I practice and how I go out there and try to make as many plays as I can. If people feel like voting for me, feel free. I can't control your opinion, so it really doesn't matter to me. I can only control what I can control."

When I told Watt I have an MVP vote and I'd be open to hearing his pitch, just like he gave me two years ago, he took a more passive approach this time around.

It's clear he wants his play, and only his play, to do the talking this time around.

"Nah, that's all right. I appreciate it, but you make up your own mind," Watt said. "Football's a game where you turn on the film and you let me know what you think."

The modern NFL is a quarterback's league. That's how the owners want it, and the recent rule changes have allowed that to occur, so it's not surprising six of the last seven MVP awards have been given out to quarterbacks, with Adrian Peterson the lone exception. Peterson edged out Peyton Manning in 2012. Watt didn't receive a vote.

So perhaps Watt isn't stumping for himself because he's resigned to his fate as merely an annual candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. Plus, he's playing for a 6-6 team and will be going up against the likes of Aaron Rodgers and the NFC North-leading Green Bay Packers.

But consider Watt's credentials with one month left in the regular season:

--11.5 sacks, which is fifth-most in the league and most among players who aren't exclusively edge rushers;

--Three fumbles forced, one short of his career high;

--Five fumbles recovered, which puts him only one behind Jared Allen for the most in a season since 1990;

--Thirty-six quarterback hits, which is more than any player had all of last season;

--Two defensive touchdowns;

--And three receiving touchdowns for the former tight end, making him the first player in NFL history with three touchdown catches, a fumble return for a touchdown and an interception return for a touchdown in the same season.

The receiving touchdowns are the most impressive part of Watt's season, as each has increased in difficulty.

The first one was a corner route against an Oakland Raiders defense that obviously didn't consider him a threat because no one covered Watt. The second was a fade over Cleveland Browns linebacker Chris Kirksey, which was a tough catch to make even for a career offensive player.

Then on Sunday, Watt had to do some pre-snap shifting from a running back position to a wing, a move that surely announced to the Titans' defense the ball was going to Watt. Then, he had to beat linebacker Wesley Woodyard to the edge. Finally, he had to make a catch on a dart from Fitzpatrick that was just outside Woodyard's outstretched hand.

The way Watt executed the play from start to finish, he looked like he'd practiced it dozens of times. But Watt spends so much time on his defensive craft, he said he doesn't have much time to work on his offensive execution. He said he takes a few reps in practice and catches some passes afterward when he can carve out time.

Other than that, it's just natural ability taking over.

"I really appreciate my teammates and coaches for trusting me enough and having that confidence to make those plays," Watt said. "It's a great feeling."

Watt's transitioning into a role on offense mirrors his approach to his MVP candidacy, in that he didn't campaign for a role as a receiver this year after doing so in the past.

"I had always joked about it, but this year I really hadn't said a lot about it," Watt said. "But they came to me at the end of training camp and said they wanted to start working on it. All year long, we kind of worked on it a little bit, and obviously we've had some success with it, so it's been cool."

But enough about individual honors. The Texans are, believe it or not, still alive in the AFC. They're only a game out of a playoff spot, and they have two games against the Jacksonville Jaguars wrapped around a road game against the Indianapolis Colts and a home matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.

A 9-7 record is doable, especially with Fitzpatrick's franchise-record six touchdown passes giving him confidence. It's just a matter of whether that will be enough for a postseason berth or whether the Texans have to run the table.

Either way, Sunday's game was a terrific display on a team and personal level for Watt.

"Days like today when everybody is playing well, flying around and making plays, that's what it's all about," Watt said. "You love days like today because everybody's involved and that's what makes it so fun."

AARON COLVIN'S 'HARD WORK'S PAID OFF'

On Jan. 22, during the third day of Senior Bowl practices, Oklahoma cornerback Aaron Colvin fell awkwardly as he was trying to make a stop. Colvin tore his ACL on the play, thus putting his rookie season in jeopardy before he was even close to being drafted.

"There was no question in my mind I was going to come back this year," Colvin told FOX Sports by phone on Sunday evening. "I was just praying for the opportunity from the coaching staff and the organization. When they finally gave me the opportunity, it was my time to seize it."

The Jacksonville Jaguars' rookie seized something on Sunday, all right. It was the football.

Colvin picked up New York Giants tight end Larry Donnell's fumble and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown that gave the Jags their first lead of the game with 12:56 left in the fourth quarter. It wasn't the game-winning score because the Giants got the lead back before Josh Scobee put Jacksonville ahead for good with a 43-yard field goal with 28 seconds remaining.

But it was a moment Colvin, a fourth-round pick whose draft stock was hurt by his injury, earned with some serious rehab over nearly 10 months.

"It just feels great. I feel like all my hard work's paid off," said Colvin, who was activated off the non-football injury list before the team's Week 12 game against the Colts. "There was a time when I had to make the decision if I was going to lay down or keep building and try to come back better than I ever was before. For that play to happen, it was progress just because that moment I truly felt like everything paid off."

Colvin made a good enough play by coming up to tackle Donnell short of the first down. Once he realized his teammates were scrambling for some reason, he looked up to see the loose ball. Defensive end Ryan Davis started to reach for it.

"Yeah, that one was all me," Colvin said with a laugh. "Nobody else was getting it."

FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS

1. We ran out of time on a busy FOX NFL Kickoff show on FOX Sports 1 on Sunday morning, so I didn't get to discuss the Adrian Peterson situation on air. I was planning on discussing the lack of confidence I'm sensing from the NFL Players Association that they're going to win his appeal. Unlike the Ray Rice case, this is a simple case of Roger Goodell taking action as part of a policy that gives him the power to do so. The NFLPA keeps hammering the fact NFL director of football operations Troy Vincent told Adrian Peterson he would be credited for time served, and the union's argument on that point manifested in several reports on Sunday. But what many seem to be forgetting here is an NFL spokesman didn't deny the claim and said Peterson was indeed credited with time served. They're saying he was suspended the six-game standard for first-time offenders plus some more time for aggravating circumstances. Goodell outlined in his domestic-violence memo such circumstances included an act committed in the presence of a child and an act with a weapon. Both apply here. Vincent's promise of time served, therefore, figures to be a moot point. Expect this to drag out with a federal lawsuit filed by the NFLPA after a failed appeal. This fight is far from over. In fact, it's just getting started.

2. One of the things I did discuss on FOX NFL Kickoff was the future of Robert Griffin III. Like many people, I believed his fate was sealed to never be the Washington Redskins quarterback again after he was benched for the second time in as many seasons. But after having some conversations with sources over the past few days, I'm starting to believe the door hasn't been slammed just yet by Jay Gruden. Colt McCoy, despite an impressive performance against the Colts on Sunday (392 yards, three touchdowns), is not the answer. Griffin hasn't looked like it, either, though one has to believe he hasn't lost all of the talent he once had, even if he has been banged up. I just get the sense the Redskins want Griffin to clear his mind a bit, string some good practices together (indications are he's practiced well even through the struggles) and see if he can regain some confidence. I'm not saying he's going to be back as this team's unquestioned starter soon; I'm just saying it's more possible than I initially believed.

3. The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons each won on Sunday. That was a significant development because both teams are now at 5-7. They face each other in Week 16. Barring a tie, that's another victory for one of those teams. They have a combined three games against the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so there has to be another win in there for the eventual division champ, right? That would mean the league would avoid its first 6-10 division winner. OK, so 7-9 won't be much better, but at least it won't be unprecedented. That was the mark the Seattle Seahawks posted in 2010 when they knocked off the defending champion Saints at home. This year, the roles could very well be switched. When I checked with a few owners last year to see if there might be some momentum building toward taking the automatic playoff home game away from division winners, I was stunned to hear there's not. Even those who supported the change believe there's not enough support overall for it to occur.

4. Mike Pettine is waiting until Wednesday to name the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. It has to be Johnny Manziel, right? For Pettine to make that move, to say it was time to remove Brian Hoyer in hope of getting a spark and to get that spark from Manziel says plenty about Pettine's assessment of Hoyer and the offense of late. Our Jay Glazer reported on FOX NFL Sunday the Browns were still hoping to get Manziel on the field. Translation: They were looking for an opening. Well, here's their opening. They gave Manziel every shot to win the job in the preseason, and he was unable to do it because of a poor performance against the Redskins. Now, Hoyer has faltered at a much more critical time. My money (imagine me making the Manziel money sign right here) is on Johnny to take the first snap for the Browns on Sunday.

5. Is there a tougher team to figure out than the Kansas City Chiefs? They've lost to the Titans and the Oakland Raiders, yet they've beaten the New England Patriots, Seahawks and San Diego Chargers. And in what should have been an inspired effort on Sunday night at home, in front of a national audience, with 10 days to recover from the terrible loss to Oakland and with plenty of motivation in playing for ill safety Eric Berry, the Chiefs came out incredibly flat. Andy Reid opened the game with three straight passes in cold, windy weather instead of trying to establish Jamaal Charles from the start. The Chiefs now try to hang on to their dwindling playoff hopes by traveling to Arizona to face the Cardinals on Sunday, which of course means they'll play well and win ... and then drop their rematch with the Raiders the following week.

TEN EVEN QUICKER THOUGHTS

1. Tom Coughlin: The New York Giants' head coach has come back from some dire situations before, but this really looks like it will be the end of his outstanding run with the organization. The front office wanted sweeping changes to the coaching staff last year and that didn't help matters, so Coughlin figures to be next.

2. Justin Houston: He has a league-leading 14 sacks on a salary of $1.4 million this season. That's $100,000 per sack. He's been a bargain for the Chiefs, though he's going to hammer them on a long-term deal eventually.

3. Twelve seconds: That's how long Aaron Rodgers had to throw on one play on Sunday against the Patriots, who did a tremendous job of covering the Packers' receivers for that long. Jordy Nelson was contacted in the back of the end zone, though Rodgers might have been out of the pocket at the time, thus making it a legal act.

4. Cam Newton: The Carolina Panthers ran an option look early in the third quarter on Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings' defensive players on the scene didn't look the slightest bit worried Newton would keep it. They played the pitch and stuffed Jonathan Stewart in the backfield. That pretty much sums up the battered Newton's lack of effectiveness this year.

5. John Harbaugh: Not sure why he thinks the call against Ravens cornerback Anthony Levine wasn't pass interference. If anything, Harbaugh should be complaining about a lack of an offensive pass interference penalty on Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen on Eddie Royal's game-winning touchdown. Allen made contact with the defender before Royal caught the ball.

6. DeAndre Hopkins: He will cost the Texans a little more than $1 million in 2015. Andre Johnson, who has 321 fewer yards and only two touchdowns to Hopkins' six, will cost $11.5 million. No wonder Johnson tried to get his salary for next year guaranteed during his mini-holdout this offseason.

7. Buffalo Bills: After going 6-10 in four of the last five seasons (with a 4-12 mark in the one season they didn't get to six wins), they have seven victories. One more and they'll clinch their best record since 2004. Not one of the players on their current roster was even in the league at that point. Sammy Watkins was in the sixth grade.

8. Teddy Bridgewater: Over his last five games, he's completed 61 percent of his passes and thrown seven touchdowns to only two interceptions. Those aren't stellar numbers, but he's been efficient and low on mistakes.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: They went to New Orleans, Houston and Tampa and won them all. Never mind two of those teams have losing records. Sweeping a three-game road swing in this league is a tough, tough thing to do. Now they have some breathing room with the first of two matchups against the Steelers coming up on Sunday.

10. St. Louis Rams: I know I keep saying it but, man, if only Sam Bradford had stayed healthy. What a division the NFC West would have been.

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