Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is already setting a lofty bar for quarterback Deshaun Watson.
"I saw him do it in college, but this is the NFL," Hopkins told the Houston Chronicle. "So, of course I'm impressed. I haven't seen a quarterback do that in a long time besides Michael Vick. Of course, everybody in this locker room is impressed."
He added: "A lot of improvement. You guys seen last week's game. It speaks for itself what he does out there on the field."
There were moments in Watson's performance against the New England Patriots last week that certainly brought Vick to mind. With the Texans (1-2) facing a second-and-22, Watson eluded a pass rusher, backed himself up near the Patriots' sideline and fired a first-down strike to tight end Ryan Griffin on the complete opposite side of the field.
It was just two quarters after he tossed a go-ahead touchdown in the first, also a Vick-like bullet to Bruce Ellington between two defenders.
Throughout the preseason, we saw Watson leaning on his athletic ability -- a common trait among rookie quarterbacks of nearly every style as they acclimate to the much faster pace of the NFL. But what has been enjoyable about regular-season Watson is the way he uses his mobility to put himself in position to make the better throw -- almost a combination of a Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers-type mentality.
I'm sure Watson would take any of these comparisons, as would quarterback-starved Texans coach Bill O'Brien. Heading into a crucial divisional matchup against the Tennessee Titans (2-1) this weekend, O'Brien will need all the help he can get under center to stay afloat in the AFC South.
