Red Zone Play - 9-7, Brian! 9-7!

Deshaun Watson has thrown for 19 touchdowns so far this year. That’s an NFL record in the first seven games of the season.

Deshaun Watson has thrown for three or more touchdowns in the last four consecutive games. That’s an NFL record.

Deshaun Watson is the only player in the Super Bowl era to throw for 400 yards, four passing touchdowns, and run for 50 more yards in the same game (averaging a modest 8.4 yards per carry).

Deshaun Watson scored five total touchdowns against the Titans – tying the NFL record for most total TDs by a rookie.

Deshaun Watson passed for five touchdowns against the Chiefs – that’s a Texans record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie.

Maybe Deshaun Watson should take the mound in relief of Justin Verlander tonight when the Astros’ star is ready to head to the dugout.

While all these things about Watson are true, and gloriously so, the Texans are still below .500, sitting at 3-4 with nine games left.

“We’re nine and seven, Brian!”

Here’s the remaining schedule and prognostications:

Nov 5 Indianapolis (win)

Nov 12 @L.A. Rams (win)

Nov 19 Arizona (win)

Nov 27 @Baltimore (loss)

Dec 3 @Tennessee (win)

Dec 10 San Francisco (win)

Dec 17 @Jacksonville (loss)

Dec 25 Pittsburgh (loss)

Dec 31 @Indianapolis (win)

Annnnndddd… we’re nine and seven, Brian.

The question then becomes why.

We (arguably) have the quarterback equivalent of Randy Moss’ rookie season going on, yet for some insane reason Bill O’Brien chose to run Lamar Miller up the A-Gap when the game was on the line. And, guess what, it didn’t work. Why? Because it NEVER works in a pinch. That’s NEVER with a capital NEVER, Brian.

If anything, trying D’Onta Foreman in that play may have had better results, but everyone, including my elementary age son, knows that running Lamar Miller up the gut isn’t going to work.

Deshaun Watson… all those records, all those yards, with the game coming down to one play, and the best thing we can do is have him fake a hand-off one way, then hand it off to Lamar Miller to run with passionate futility into the teeth of Seattle’s defense.

That, folks, is why, “We’re nine and seven, Brian!” rings so true to Houston fans.

Apparently, the goal is barely above average. Not “best of the best”, or “we’re number one”, but “nine and seven”.

I heard a good friend telling an anecdote recently about a sales coach telling someone, “You’re never going to make $250,000 with a $100,000 mentality.”

Feeling like nine and seven is good enough is that anecdote in a nutshell.

Thankfully, we have Deshaun Watson, who obviously doesn’t think mediocre is strive-worthy.

We’ve moved out Duane Brown, brought in some secondary help, and hopefully that’s enough to prevent opposing quarterbacks from keeping up with Watson going forward.

So maybe, just maybe, we turn this thing on its ear and decide that Deshaun Watson needs to be nine and seven – Nine passing records and seven rushing records.

That’s a nine and seven I can get on board with.

What about you? What are you predictions for the Texans final record, Deshaun’s list of rookie records and the over under on O’Brien calling more “Miller up the A-Gap” when the game is on the line?