Grantland--The Trenchie Awards: ...the Play of the Year from J.J. Watt

Click to expand...

...
On the play, Houston is lined up in a 4-3 defense - rather than its base 3-4 - with Watt as the left defensive end. At the snap, the run action comes Watt’s direction, and his job, as right tackle Mike Otto (no. 66) attempts to reach him, is to maintain outside leverage and push the play back inside. Because he’s J.J. Watt, he gets his hands on Otto quickly and does this with relative ease.

After it’s clear that Watt has beaten Otto to the outside, tight end Craig Stevens (no. 88), who lined up at fullback on the play, sprints toward the sideline in an effort to get to Watt’s outside shoulder. Initially, Stevens beats Watt to the spot, but his advantage doesn’t last very long. Watt disengages with Otto, extends his hands onto Stevens, and using a subtle swim over the top with his right hand, regains position to the outside.

All of this is enough to make for an incredible play. Watt’s avoided being reached by two separate defenders (including one not assigned to block him; Stevens’s job here is actually to take now-unblocked outside linebacker Connor Barwin), and the expectations for him on such a play should be over. With the play forced back inside, pursuing teammates should be able to make the play for little or no gain. That doesn’t happen.

Instead, just as Chris Johnson slows to cut back, Watt stops, sheds Stevens, spills back to the inside, makes a tackle four yards deep in the backfield, and forces a fumble. The play is a collection of what makes Watt the best run-defending defensive linemen in football, but nothing here is more impressive that the use of his hands. While never stopping his movement to the outside, the ability to shift his hands from Otto to Stevens and then shed the second blocker is something few, if any other defensive linemen in the league are capable of. The first 12 games of this season have seemingly been a collection of J.J. Watt highlights, but they aren’t going to get any better than this....

Click to expand...

The Pencil Neck said:

Beast, thy name is JJ Watt.

Click to expand...

Dutchrudder said:

I can't tell from the gif, but did he knock the ball loose, or did he scare the **** out of CJ causing him to drop it?

Click to expand...

Dutchrudder said:

I can't tell from the gif, but did he knock the ball loose, or did he scare the **** out of CJ causing him to drop it?

Click to expand...

Fiddler said:

CJ didn't drop it. Watt got it with an upper-cut-like stab. The ball pops out & lands about 5 yards from them...

However, the ref standing right there didn't see the ball pop out...

Click to expand...

Specnatz said:

As CJ reverses he turns his back to JJ who, as he goes to make the tackle, hits the ball with his right hand forcing the fumble. Moments before CJ would have gotten into the fettle position cause he knew who was coming.

Click to expand...

Fiddler said:

CJ didn't drop it. Watt got it with an upper-cut-like stab. The ball pops out & lands about 5 yards from them, to the inside. Antonio picks the ball up & unleashes the 4.5 (not the 4.2 that day) making Chris Johnson like cuts towards the endzone.

However, the ref standing right there didn't see the ball pop out, thought CJ still had it & blew the play dead, thus nullifying the Ninja endzone dance.

Click to expand...

Dutchrudder said:

...I think he looked at CJ so hard that the ball just popped out of his hand...

Click to expand...

Dutchrudder said:

http://youtu.be/CMoPTm1KeXE?t=7m13s

I'm not seeing JJ making contact with the ball. I think he hit CJ so hard that the ball just popped out of his hand, which would explain why the ball goes forward downfield, rather than backwards. His right arm wraps up like a normal tackle and may have made contact with CJ's arm that's carrying the ball, but in any case I think the force of the hit on the body is what caused the fumble.

Click to expand...

76Texan said:

Something like that.

Got to give some credit to Mitchell as well though.
He made CJ ducked and turned to get away from his grab, giving Watt just the right angle for the kill.

Click to expand...

Fiddler said:

That's another play where Mitchell's quickness impresses me. If only he didn't try to decapitate CJ2ypc, he could have had that tackle.

Click to expand...

76Texan said:

He went in high; maybe it's something they want to do with several guys around the ball.

Stand the ball carrier up so another guy can create a turnover???
(Obviously, he didn't stand CJ up in this instance, but ya' know what I'm talking about.)

Or am I reading too much into it?!?

Click to expand...