Texans coach Bill O’Brien says J.J. Watt, Deshaun Watson ‘playing at a high level’

In their comeback from serious injuries, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt and quarterback Deshaun Watson are doing much more than simply rounding into form.

Both are progressing in ways that are highly encouraging to their coach, Bill O’Brien.

‘It’s difficult to jump right back on where you left off’

Watt, who suffered a broken leg last season, already has 20 tackles, five sacks, four forced fumbles and six tackles for loss. He could very well be on track to win his fourth NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. Watson, who had his rookie season shortened last year by a torn ACL, is making improvement after a slow start to this year. He threw for 375 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 41 yards and a score in the Texans’ 37-34 overtime victory against Indianapolis last Sunday.

“I don’t think there’s any question about it,” O’Brien said of the progress being made by both players during an interview with Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan on Movin’ The Chains. “I think when you have some time off from football and you haven’t played in a live game in a while, I think it’s difficult to jump right back on where you left off. It’s just the way it is. You’ve got to play live games to get back into your body, how it feels, your mind, how it’s working in a live game.

‘It’s good to have them on our team’

“I think J.J. is really playing at a high level. … And Deshaun, I think, is really playing at a high level, also, doing a lot of great things for us. So it’s good to have them on our team, that’s for sure.”

Hear more from Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan on SiriusXM’s Movin’ The Chains.