Deshaun Watson has a career-best performance in Houston's 53-32 win over Atlanta
Former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was up to his old tricks again during Houston’s 53-32 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Watson finished the game 25-33 with a career-best 426 yards with five touchdowns passing. He also added 47 yards on the ground on just four carries.
Watson also became the 3rd player in the Super Bowl era with 400 Pass yards, 5 Pass TDs and a perfect passer rating (158.3) in a game.
It was a fitting performance for Watson against his hometown Falcons, who he once was a ball boy for when he was in high school. To put the icing on the cake, Watson’s mother, Deann, was the Homefield Advantage Captain of the game.
Trailing by a point at the half, Watson led the Texans on three big scoring drives to give the home team a 33-17 lead heading into the final frame. During the contest, Watson effortlessly maneuvered around the pocket to keep play after play alive for Houston, while frustrating Falcon defenders.
After scoring just 10 points against the Panthers last weekend, the Texans’ offense caught fire against the Falcons.
Former Notre Dame wideout, Will Fuller V, led all receivers with a franchise-record 14 receptions for 217 yards and three touchdowns. Former Clemson wideout Nuk Hopkins also hauled in seven grabs for 88 yards in the game.
In addition to Watson and Hopkins, the matchup featured several other former Tigers as D.J. Reader (Texans), Carlos Watkins (Texans), Grady Jarrett (Atlanta), and Vic Beasley (Atlanta) all played a part in the contest. Former Tiger Albert Huggins, who plays for Houston, did not play in the game.
The Texans are now 3-2 this season and will play at Kansas City next Sunday, as two of the best young quarterbacks in pro football faceoff when Watson and Patrick Mahomes go head-to-head.