Quarterback Deshaun Watson & Running Back Lamar Miller
Deshaun Watson came close to beating the New England Patriots in 2017 as a rookie. In Week 1, he didn’t dominate like he did a year prior, but he did keep the game close. If he had Fuller, maybe he would have connected on one key deep pass that could have changed the game.
Watson’s rapport with Fuller was on display in Week 2, however, and that’s something one would expect the second-year quarterback to continue in Week 3 against the Giants, who have plenty of their own questions in the backfield.
With Fuller back in the offensive scheme, I expect to see the 2017 version of Watson. The gunslinger who was abnormally efficient on deep passes compared to the rest of the league. That’s the Watson we are used to.
Through 20 carries during Week 1 against the Patriots, running back Lamar Miller rushed for 98 yards. In 2017, Miller averaged 3.7 yards per carry, and in 2016, his average was 4.0. So rushing for 4.9 yards per carry does not seem like something that could hold up in 2018.
Or could it?
Last year, Watson played half a season. If Watson plays a full season, defenses will have to respect Houston’s passing game. If that’s the case, Miller will have more room to run, one could think. I’m intrigued to see if Miller has similar success on Sunday versus New York and bounces back after a 68-yard performance against the Titans, who allowed 109 rushing yards on 23 carries between Miami Dolphins running backs Frank Gore and Kenyan Drake in Week 1.
Perhaps the Giants aren’t as adept at stopping the run.