The Texans (10-4) face the Eagles (7-7) in Philadelphia this Sunday at noon CT. Head coach Doug Pederson, a couple of assistant coaches, and some Eagles players shared their thoughts on the Texans.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson on DE J.J. Watt and OLB Jadeveon Clowney: "You see two guys that can wreck your party, a lot like Aaron Donald can for the Rams, and (Ndamukong) Suh can for the Rams. Our work's cut out for us. We've got to have a great week of preparation. This is a good defense. This is a playoff team."
Pederson on Watt: "His first step – first step quickness – and then his little swim move that he can do, his arm-over move, is as quick as anything as we've seen all season. He's a load. He lines up anywhere along that D-line – inside and outside, left and right. We've got to account for him. So, a lot of respect for him. I just love the way he plays. He plays hard every snap and that's what you can appreciate about him."
Eagles offensive coordinator Mike Groh on Watt and Clowney: "Obviously, two of the best edge rushers in the game. But not only that, they're complete players. You've got to account for them all the time and know where they are, and have a really good plan in pass protection. Which I know we will. I know our guys will be up for the challenge."
Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz on Texans QB Deshaun Watson: "He's really good at extending plays and puts a little more pressure on your coverage and your coverage has to cover a little bit longer. With pass rush, a lot of times, it's about three, three-and-a-half seconds and if you're not there, the ball is usually gone. With guys like Watson, there's a great chance that he's going to come back to you and you're going to have to keep on rushing. It just changes your clock a little bit."
Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins on Watson: "His athleticism is probably the first thing that jumps out on the tape. His ability to extend plays and still make an accurate throw, especially in between the numbers. Obviously throwing the ball to Hopkins makes that a lot easier, more dangerous."
Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox on Watson: "He's a great player. We've just got to stay in our lane and stop the run. They're a really good run team. They find ways to create plays."
Jenkins on the Texans offense: "Even if you've got them bottled up, they've got so many playmakers that break the game open, so we'll have to be able to consistently win throughout the game."
Schwartz on Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins: "The biggest thing that stands out for me is he's so strong with contested catches. He must have incredibly strong hands and he has a knack for getting the ball. He has some rebounder-type skills in him. Charles Barkley would lead the NBA in rebounds when he's 6-3. Those guys that just have a knack for high point and a knack for knowing -- But I think that sort of stands out the most. That play he made to win the game or to give them the lead -- not to win the game but to give them the lead, I mean, you can't cover a guy much better than that. And not only does he high point the ball and he's strong enough to squeeze it, he's also strong enough to come down with that ball in his hand. He's a threat to run after the catch. He's one of the best receivers in the NFL."
Jenkins on Hopkins: "There are going to be plays that he's going to make, and that's one of the reasons he's one of the top receivers in this League. He makes those consistently throughout his career. Obviously, he presents a problem."
Pederson on Texans WR/Returner DeAndre Carter: "This kid is a hard worker. He's explosive, he's quick and the Texans are fortunate to have him. He's a guy that if he gets offensive snaps, obviously, they can move him around the formation. He's smart, he understands concepts and then of course his returns are very explosive. He did that for us and he's doing that for the Texans now."
Eagles RB Josh Adams on the Texans defense: "They're athletic. They're definitely similar to last week's defense up front. Gameplan will be kind of similar in terms of how we deal with certain players.
