The NFL has named* *Houston Texans DE J.J. Watt the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November. It is the fifth time in Watt's career he has won the award while no other player in franchise history has won it more than twice. Watt recorded an NFL-best 7.5 sacks, 26 quarterback hits and nine tackles for loss in the month, along with one forced fumble and 20 total tackles (16 solo), helping lead the Texans to a 4-0 record.
Watt had three games with 2.0-or-more sacks in November, giving him an NFL-best five games with multiple sacks this season and 20 in his career, which is the second-most by any player in his first five seasons in NFL history (Reggie White). In Week 8 against Tennessee, Watt set a single-game career-
high with 10 quarterback hits, to go along with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. In Week 11 against the Jets, Watt led the team with eight solo tackles, including five for loss, six quarterback hits, and 2.0 sacks. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Watt finished off the month recording 2.0 sacks and eight quarterback hits against the Saints in Week 12.
During November, Watt became the second-fastest player in NFL history to reach 70.0 career sacks (Reggie White, 57 games) and passed Derrick Thomas (66.0) for the second-most career sacks in a player's first five seasons in NFL history. He has an NFL-best 70.5 sacks, 201 quarterback hits, and 126 tackles for loss since entering the league in 2011. Additionally, Watt has now recorded a sack in five straight games, tied for the third-longest streak in Texans history and tied for the longest active streak in the NFL.
Watt led a defense that was the best in the NFL in November. For the month, the Texans defense ranked number one in the NFL in points allowed per game (8.8), net yards allowed per game (250.5), net passing yards allowed per game (180.5), and second in rushing yards allowed per game (70.0). They also did not allow a touchdown in three of their four games in November.
For the season, Watt has an NFL-best 13.5 sacks, 42 quarterback hits, and 23 tackles for loss. This is his fourth straight season with 10.0-or-more sacks, which is the longest active streak in the NFL. He became the first Texan with four seasons (2012-15) of 10.0-or-more sacks in his career as no other player in franchise history has three. This is also his fourth straight season with 40-or-more quarterback hits and his last four seasons are currently the top four single-season quarterback hit totals since the NFL began tracking the stat in 2006.
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Through the first 11 games this season, Watt has recorded more tackles, sacks, quarterback hits, and tackles for loss than he did through the first 11 games in 2014, when he was named the first unanimous Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year in NFL history. Watt's 7.5 sacks are the most in November by any player in franchise history and the most by any player in the NFL in the month since 2012 (Aldon Smith, 9.0).
List of Texans AFC Player of the Month Award Winners:
Player Award Month Year
J.J. Watt Defensive November 2015
J.J. Watt Defensive December 2014
J.J. Watt Defensive September 2014
J.J. Watt Defensive December 2012
Andre Johnson Offensive November 2012
J.J. Watt Defensive September 2012
Connor Barwin Defensive November 2011
Arian Foster Offensive October 2011
Arian Foster Offensive September 2010
Andre Johnson Offensive October 2008
Marcus Coleman Defensive September 2003
Chad Stanley Special Teams September 2002
Defensive end J.J. Watt's 2014 was one to remember. Game-by-game, a Texans' opponent shared his thoughts on the Defensive Player of the Year.
1 sack, 5 QB hits, 2 TFL, 1 FR, 1 blocked extra point "Of course J.J. Watt is going to make some plays. He's going to do that."- Washington OT Trent Williams
1 QB hit that caused an INT, 1 TD reception on offense "We knew we wanted to try to make sure we knew where he was on every play."- Oakland head coach Dennis Allen
7 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL and 1 batted pass"Every time I got an interview last week it was, 'What's J.J. Watt going to do?' I was overthinking it the first play I went out there, so obviously I wish I could get that back."-New York OT Jordan Pugh
9 QB hits, 1 INT returned 80 yards for a TD"When you see something like that happen, you just have to sit back and tip your hat to a guy like that. They didn't pay him all that money for no reason."- Buffalo RB Fred Jackson
4 tackles"He's the best player in the NFL. I believe that."-Dallas Owner Jerry Jones
2 sacks, 3 TFL, 1 FR for a TD. "He'll go down as one of the best defensive players probably when it is all said and done to play the game."- Colts HC Chuck Pagano:
1 sack, 1 FR, 2 QB hits "He's a good player. You all know that. It's a dog fight in there."- Pittsburgh C Maurkice Pouncey
2 sacks, 1 FF, 1 batted pass "You got 99 over there, you got to get the ball in your hand quick." -Tennessee QB Zac Mettenberger
1.5 sacks, 7 tackles, 5 QB hits "Watt and Mercilus and those guys we talked about earlier in the week, they're the real deal."
1 sack, 3 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD catch on offense "He's a great player and he's the type of player that makes the players around him better, too."- Cleveland QB Brian Hoyer
7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit "He's a great player. He makes you honest every play, every snap in the first, second, third and fourth quarter."-Cincinnati offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse
2 sacks, 6 QB hits, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD catch on offense "He's putting a good case for himself to be MVP this year."- Tennessee QB Zac Mettenberger
3 sacks, 4 TFL, 5 QB hits "Great football player and is one of those guys that have the ability to just to make plays, create turnovers, create havoc."- Jacksonville OT Luke Joeckel
2 sacks, 6 tackles and 1 batted pass "He's a heck of a player. He's going to make plays, we knew that."- Indianapolis QB Andrew Luck
1 sack, 3 TFL, 8 total tackles, 4 QB hits"I respect the heck out of him. He's very savvy and smart."- Baltimore receiver Steve Smith, Sr.
3 sacks (1 for a safety), 4 TFL, 1 FF "He's got what, 20 sacks? He is a very, very dominant player and he is going to get some opportunities."- Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley
