The Facts: While HC Bill O'Brien has said the team needs to be smart about protecting Watson, who is coming off a torn ACL, he also knows he can’t change a huge part of Watson’s game out of fear. Part of the reason why O’Brien and the Texans can feel that way is because the head coach thinks Watson has “a knack for sliding and for ducking out of bounds” before he takes a hit. “He has a really good instinct for maybe gaining the 5 or 6 yards and then going down before he takes the shot,” O’Brien said. “That’s a big thing that young quarterbacks usually have a problem with. He seems to have an instinct for being able to stay out of harm’s way.”

Diehards Line: In six starts last season, Watson frequently made plays after the pocket collapsed and was a big part of the reason why Houston ranked 14th in the league in rushing; in seven games, Watson ran for 269 yards on 36 carries for 2 touchdowns. Although Watson has good instincts to protect his body, O’Brien said the coaching staff has gone over being smart outside the pocket with the 22-year-old. O’Brien also noted how tough it can be to make sure a quarterback gets rid of the ball when it gets to that point in the play because of a desire to make something happen. "They’re going to try to keep the play alive and they don’t think it’s ever over," O'Brien said. "You don’t need to take an unnecessary shot, but I don’t think it’s easy to coach that with every single guy.”