Texans' J.J. Watt insists he's ready to go after 2 injury-shortened seasons

FOXBORO — The last two seasons have not ended well for Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt.

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year played in three games — the last of which was here against the Patriots — before landing on season-ending injured reserve and undergoing back surgery for a herniated disc in 2016. A fractured shinbone sent him to IR after five games last season.

So, after starting the first 80 [...]

FOXBORO — The last two seasons have not ended well for Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt.

The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year played in three games — the last of which was here against the Patriots — before landing on season-ending injured reserve and undergoing back surgery for a herniated disc in 2016. A fractured shinbone sent him to IR after five games last season.

So, after starting the first 80 games of his NFL career, Watt, who was drafted 11th overall by the Texans in 2011, missed 24 games in a span of 16 months.

“Obviously, the last two years have been very rough for me,” Watt said Wednesday during a conference call. “You want to play and everything that I’ve had to go through in the rehabs and the recoveries and all that it took and then, obviously, the hurricane, as well.”

The hurricane to which Watt referred was Hurricane Harvey, which ravaged parts of Central America, the Caribbean and the Gulf Coast last August and caused $125 billion in damage, much of it in Houston due to record-setting floodwaters.

Watt responded by starting a fundraising campaign with a goal of $200,000, of which he’d match the first $100,000. He ended up receiving donations of $41.6 million, which have, among other things, been used to repair and rebuild more than 600 homes and more than 420 childcare centers and provide more than 26 million meals to those adversely affected.

For his humanitarian work, Watt was honored as the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year and the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 2017. Now he’s hoping to add NFL Comeback Player of the Year to his trophy cabinet.

The redemption tour is to begin at 1 p.m. Sunday as the Texans and Patriots open the 2018 season at Gillette Stadium. And while Watt proclaimed himself fit, he understands football followers will have a healthy dose of skepticism until proven otherwise.

“I’ve said this offseason many times, I could tell people I’m feeling unbelievable, I could tell people I’m feeling terrible,” the 29-year-old Wisconsin native said. “They’re not going to believe me and they’re not going to care until I step on that field and prove it for real.

“Sunday’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m really looking forward to hitting the field and just playing the game. Letting loose and having fun and, like I said, we’ll go from there.”

The 6-foot-5-inch, 295-pound Watt, assuming he’s still the player he once was, is one of the most dynamic and destructive defensive playmakers in the league.

He has 76 sacks in 88 games since 2011, a total that ranks second in the league, even though he played only eight games the last two seasons. Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller is first with 83.5 sacks in 104 games.

Additionally, Watt ranks first in tackles for a loss (136) and quarterback hits (219) since entering the league following an All-American senior season at the University of Wisconsin. He’s tops among defensive linemen in passes defensed (47).

And that’s the player coach Bill Belichick anticipates seeing Sunday as the Patriots look to improve to 7-0 all-time at home against the Texans.

“We expect every player that we play against to be at their best,” Belichick said. “We always expect their best performance, and we usually get that. That’s what we’ll expect from J.J.

“J.J’s a great player, he’s very talented, he’s got great motor and very instinctive. He’s a very smart player, as well as one that has outstanding physical skill. So, we always expect their best and prepare for it.”

Interestingly enough, Watt has been at his worst in the six games he’s played — and lost — against the Patriots with a shared sack and one pass defensed to go along with 24 tackles.

The Patriots, though, will once again prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

“He’s a good player, you know what I’m saying?” right guard Shaq Mason said. “He works hard, doesn’t give up on plays and does what he does for his team. He definitely gives that extra effort.”

And while the last two seasons have not ended well for Watt, he’s optimistic this one will get off to a good start.