Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 1066 - 1065 Long-awaited Reunion

The Houston Texans, in recent years, have consistently been the focus of the League’s attention because of their legendary defensive star, with many asking every year: ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

When will the Houston Texans take the next step to bring a championship ring to Watt?

Year after year.

Again and again.

After two consecutive seasons where Watt was sidelined due to injuries, the League finally realized that the once-invincible powerhouse was also only human.

Perhaps, Watt may no longer fight on for many more years; perhaps, Watt can no longer run wild; perhaps, the Houston Texans don’t have much time left.

Last season, the Houston Texans experienced overall growth and significant improvement.

They performed outstandingly in the regular season, entering the playoffs as the third seed in the AFC. A healthy Watt remained a beast, the rapidly growing quarterback Watson was developing into the team’s backbone, and coupled with the ever-maturing team tactics, the Houston Texans indeed had the best opportunity.

However, fate played a joke once more—

The Houston Texans lost to their divisional rival Indianapolis Colts in the wild card game, and it was a crushing defeat, "7:21."

A painful loss.

The league was full of regret, exposing the harsh realities of competitive sports once again.

Nobody knows how long Watt can maintain his peak form, or if Watson can grow into a top quarterback, or if the Houston Texans will get a better chance again.

A whole year of fighting and effort went to waste, and they must start all over again; however, everything during the offseason and the new season is unknown.

The start of the 2019 season was not ideal for the Houston Texans.

In the season opener, the Houston Texans faced the New Orleans Saints, who reached the NFC Championship last season, a tough battle.

The truly disheartening part was Watt’s average performance.

It was the first time in Watt’s 105-game career that he recorded neither a sack nor a quarterback hit. Once capable of taking down quarterbacks as effortlessly as eating and drinking, Watt didn’t even manage to effectively tackle Brees, not even once.

The statistics were blank.

Ultimately, after a fierce battle, the Houston Texans narrowly lost to the New Orleans Saints by two points, missing the opening win of the season.

Such occurrences are common in the NFL—

Teams that performed well last season, sometimes not even needing the Super Bowl stage, often face severe challenges the next season. They teeter on the tightrope high above, then usher in a new season full of disintegration.

In the NFL, consistency and stability have always been a test, even making the playoffs for five consecutive years is a herculean task.

Now, a curse once again hangs over the heads of the Houston Texans.

One loss results in sighs across the League, with skepticism about the Houston Texans’ future, lacking the pillar that is Watt, they seem to be missing some competitiveness—

Watson? Still somewhat lacking.

However, the Houston Texans rebounded, not needing to hit rock bottom for redemption, they applied the brakes while still descending.

A narrow victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a hard-fought win over the Los Angeles Chargers, a tough victory over the Carolina Panthers, and a decisive triumph over the Atlanta Falcons.

Four consecutive wins!

The scores and circumstances reveal that things weren’t easy, very, very tough; however, the Houston Texans ultimately withstood the test, biting down hard in the midst of chaos and upheaval, winning hard-fought battles one by one.

In fact, even the loss to the New Orleans Saints was only by a margin of two points.

A truly mature team not only needs to win decisive victories but also needs to win close games within one possession, like the New England Patriots at their peak. Maybe they weren’t the strongest or most perfect, but they always managed to conquer tough challenges.

Now, the Houston Texans are exhibiting such traits.

With a season record of four wins and one loss, in the full-scale melee of the AFC South, the Houston Texans securely occupy the top spot in the division, gaining an advantage in the playoff race.

Difficult, yet hope remains.

More importantly, after unprecedented doldrums in the season opener, Watt is back.

This is not easy, as the ensuing games were still filled with bumps and bruises, but Watt demonstrated the qualities of an excellent player, finding his form in adversity, rebuilding his dominance, showcasing his mental strength and resilience with his actions, leading the defensive group back on track.

Step by step, one footprint after another.

In the eyes of professionals, this season’s more mature and resilient Houston Texans are even more formidable than last season, because they now possess killer instincts, the kind that exists when standing amidst endless darkness with no way back, united as one from top to bottom to fight every battle.

Perhaps this year, the Houston Texans can still maintain hope.

In the sixth week of the regular season, the Houston Texans are about to face a severe test—

Traveling to Arrowhead Stadium to challenge the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Facing the Kansas City Chiefs is tough enough, and Arrowhead Stadium is even more challenging, as Reed hasn’t lost a game at Arrowhead Stadium for two full years.

In the 2017 season, the Kansas City Chiefs traveled to Houston to challenge the Texans, and in that game, Watt was injured at the start, subsequently sidelined for the season, and eventually, the Houston Texans also lost to the Kansas City Chiefs led by Li Wei.

It’s unbelievable to note that Li Wei, into his third season in the professional league, still has not completed a full match with Watt.

This time, the opportunity has finally come.

"Li Wei VS Watt," the two still iconic figures of the NFL are finally set for a direct showdown, a matchup more anticipated than last season’s "Li Wei VS Donald."

After all, this is JJ-Watt.

Furthermore, there is more, as the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs hold some history, this game carries special meaning for the Houston Texans—

Assistant coach Romeo Crennel.

This assistant coach is now aiding Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien, but previously, he was the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.

In the 2011 season, during the dark times when the Kansas City Chiefs hit rock bottom, Crennel took on the interim head coach role for the last three weeks of the regular season and defeated the undefeated Green Bay Packers, ending their hope of replicating the New England Patriots’ 2007 perfect regular season.

Consequently, Crennel was promoted to the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs for the 2012 season.

Unfortunately, with a record of two wins and fourteen losses, the performance was dismal, leading to Crennel losing his job, welcoming the Reid era for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Crennel never getting a head coach position again.

After a gap of seven years, Crennel returns to Arrowhead Stadium.

For Crennel, is this a homecoming, or a revenge? What he feels stepping back onto Arrowhead Stadium, perhaps only he knows.

For Watt, it’s long-awaited.

For Crennel, it’s the same.

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m fre𝒆webnov(e)l.com