Class Act JJ Watt Sends Awesome Message After Team's Tough Playoff Loss
Life, unlike comic books, does not neatly divide itself into “good guys” and “bad guys”, and there are few real heroes in this world.
J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans, however, is right up there with Mr. Rogers on the “good” scale, only if Mr. Rogers could hit a quarterback so hard he got knocked back into the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
Watt’s Texans got stymied by the surging Indianapolis Colts, who have won 10 of 11 including Saturday’s 21-7 playoff victory after starting the season 1-5, the offense running aground as quarterback Deshaun Watson was about as accurate as a stormtrooper in a “Star Wars” movie.
And in a weekend where fan negativity got almost disgustingly radioactive around the NFL (Bears kicker Cody Parkey even received death threats after missing the game-winning field goal against the Eagles), Watt was having none of it.
No excuses. No apologies.
Love this team. Love the fans.
Thanks for all of the support.
If I’ve learned one thing the past few years, it’s that negativity does nobody any good. So I’m gonna stay smiling & keep working to improve. (After giving the body a break & a Guinness or 2) pic.twitter.com/n2hSBys4jB— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) January 6, 2019
“No excuses. No apologies.”
Nor are any due, J.J. — the defense did its part in keeping the score down to 21, below the league average of 23 points per team per game and below the Colts’ sixth-best-in-football 26.7 points per game average.
“Love this team. Love the fans. Thanks for all of the support.”
And no matter how many points James Harden scores, Houston’s favorite athlete will be JJ Watt for as long as he plays there and, after everything he did for Hurricane Harvey relief, probably long after he retires.
“If I’ve learned one thing the past few years, it’s that negativity does nobody any good.”
Truer words were never spoken. It’s that attitude that raised millions of dollars for disaster relief, brought Watt back from injury, and brought the Texans back from an atrocious 4-12 record in 2017 to win the AFC South at 11-5.
“So I’m gonna stay smiling & keep working to improve.”
And after the sting of defeat wears off, Houston fans will be back in the stadium in September convinced they’re going to win the Super Bowl, which for as long as Watt is healthy, is always a possibility.
“(After giving the body a break & a Guinness or 2).”
Hit up the craft breweries in Houston, J.J. I bet you won’t have to pay for a beer.
Watt had just two tackles in the playoff game, but he broke up two passes, had the only tackle for loss the Texans defense recorded in the entire game, got one of only four hits Andrew Luck endured for the Colts, and generally turned in a solid performance, especially when considering that he was the key assignment for the Colts’ offensive line.
And speaking of that Indianapolis O-line, they had all their starters healthy for the first time since Week 11, and before the game plenty of Colts fans on Twitter were soundly convinced that the game was over before it started.
Sure enough, they were right. It turns out that great blocking and one of the three best players in the league wearing No. 12 (Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are, of course, the other two) are a winning combination.
The Colts ran for 200 yards on 35 carries and Marlon Mack scored a first-quarter touchdown behind that stellar blocking. The Texans were powerless to try to get any penetration at all up front.
So while “Captain Andrew Luck” may petition his mother for more squirrel oil as the men travel to do battle with the Arrowhead tribe on Twitter, Houston’s season is over.
But now is not the time for negativity. Find out where Watt’s planning to have that beer and go throw a party, Texans fans. Your franchise is back on a winning track and the team improved by six wins.
Besides, the Rockets have won 11 of 13 and the Astros are still just a year removed from winning the World Series.
You’ll have plenty of good sports to watch in the NFL offseason.
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