NFL Houston Texans

J.J. Watt Will Surpass Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor in Defensive Greatness

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By @AllDave_AllDay

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Getty Images

DE J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans routinely gets triple-teamed when he rushes the quarterback, but he still always finds a way to have an impact on the game. In his latest bout against Andrew Luck and company, Watt compiled seven tackles, two sacks, four quarterback hits, three swats, a fumble return for a touchdown and a near pick-six.

That performance against the Indianapolis Colts during “Thursday Night Football” was one for the ages, and it caused Chuck Pagano to offer up some high praise for his divisional opponent. To CSN Houston, the head coach said, “He’ll go down as one of the best defensive players probably when it is all said and done to play the game.”

Hype of that nature is warranted after Watt returned a fumbled snap for a 45-yard touchdown against the Colts, and the defensive end now has three scores through six games this season. That is tied for 22nd among all non-QBs so far, and you can expect Watt to score at least one or two more times before the Texans finish off their year.

Watt’s play on Thursday brought them to the brink of a comeback victory, but a fairly embarrassing performance by the bearded Ryan Fitzpatrick sabotaged things. Can you imagine how good Houston would be if they had a real quarterback?

In terms of overall impact, it is now fair to put the defensive end on the same level as all-time greats Reggie White and Lawrence Taylor. Granted, Watt still has a lot of football left to play, but it is difficult to imagine him slowing down when he already has 20 QB hits so far this season — while no one else has more than eight — and never takes any plays off. He also keeps himself in prime physical condition, which should enable him to have a lengthy shelf life as a player.

In the end, Watt will make a visit to Canton after his career is over, and the only question that remains is how quickly he will surpass the best men to ever play.

Dave Daniels is a Prep Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter: @AllDave_AllDay, like him on Facebook here or add him to your network on Google.

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