Texans DE J.J. Watt explains why Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is elite
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt has seen Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers once up close.
On Oct. 14, 2012, in a Sunday Night Football game at NRG Stadium, the 2-3 Packers walloped the 5-0 Texans 42-24. Rodgers exploded completing 24 of 37 for 338 yards and six touchdowns.
“He obviously has the physical tools to be an elite quarterback,” Watt said. “Obviously, that’s no question. I think that he’s also extremely smart. The guy knows where to put his offense, he knows where to position guys, he knows the checks to make. He knows how to manipulate everything from the snap count to audibles to everything. I think when you put those things together, that’s the rare combination that makes guys get to the level he’s at.”
Nothing has changed with Rodgers nine seasons later. The former 2005 first-round pick from Cal is as elite of a field general as he was in 2012, and he is the biggest factor in Sunday’s game as the 1-5 Texans claw their way to relevance in the 2020 season.
“There’s obviously very few of those around and there have been very few of those throughout the league,” Watt said. “I think that’s what makes him great, makes him challenging to go against. You look forward to that opportunity as a defender to play against a guy at that level because you respect it, but you also look forward to competing against it.”
Watt collected 2.0 sacks, four tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and five quarterback hits in his first meeting against Rodgers and the Packers. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year missed out on the 2016 rematch at Lambeau Field as Watt was recovering from a herniated disc. 2020 may be the last time Watt gets a chance to go against an elite passer such as Rodgers, and it is one of the most precious games Houston has left to stay in the playoff race.
