Expect Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins to Link Up for More Than 13 Touchdowns
Although Deshaun Watson‘s 2017 season ended after an ACL injury, his remarkable success has the AFC South alarmed. After Watson’s ACL injury on November 2, the Texans went on an embarrassing 1-8 run. With Watson, the Texans were within four points of beating the New England Patriots! What does that say about this unity? Well, it sure says a lot about Deshaun Watson! You know what else has a lot to say about Deshaun Watson? The record books.
Fun facts: Watson holds the NFL record for most touchdown passes (19) thrown by a quarterback in their first seven career NFL games. He also has the most touchdown passes thrown by a rookie in a five-game span in NFL history. And he has the longest streak of games (4) with three or more touchdowns thrown by a rookie. Here’s a question for you, how much of Watson’s success was owed to his Pro Bowl receiver, DeAndre Hopkins?
Last year, Hopkins had 96 receptions, caught 13 touchdowns, and averaged 14.4 yards per reception. If Hopkins has a full season of Watson behind center, we should expect Hopkins and Watson to have incredible years. In his five seasons in the league, Hopkins had three seasons with over 1,200 receiving yards. Hopkins was also four receptions short of catching 100 passes in a season for the second time in three years. The superstar receiver will be covered heavily by defenders in 2018, but that probably won’t matter because he is that good. And also, the young wide receiver Will Fuller has been a hot topic this summer as a potential breakout candidate. If Fuller ends up being taken seriously by opposing defensive coordinators, we could see more opportunities for Hopkins to break away for six.
Predictions
It’s very likely Watson will regress in 2018. But I am not a doubter. I believe he is the real deal, and it’s great that he has a star receiver by his side. If I had to make a prediction right now, it would be Hopkins reels in 100 receptions for 1,400 receiving yards and scores 16 receiving touchdowns in 2018, and possibly an MVP. What an incredible year that would be? It’s unlikely, but don’t be surprised if these two connect on average once per game for six. As for Watson, I think he will do a better job of protecting the ball and his body in 2018. So I’ll say he’ll have an improved completion percentage of 65 percent with 4,000 passing yards and 30 passing TDs with a few rushing TDs. Yes, he will get some MVP consideration as well.
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