The Bill O'Brien era got off to a fine start in Houston with an impressive 17-6 win over the suspect-looking Washington Redskins on Sunday. Our takeaways:
- J.J. Watt got paid this summer, and he immediately reminded everyone why he was worth every penny. Watt almost single-handedly wrecked Washington's gameplan, finishing with seven quarterback hits, one sack, one fumble recovery, one pass knocked down and one blocked PAT. A second sack was wiped out by an intentional grounding penalty. The game's best defensive player is at the height of his powers.
- Robert Griffin III still looks nothing like the phenom who took the league by storm in 2012. Griffin struggled to escape Houston's heavy pass rush and fumbled twice (losing one). He also took some more punishing shots. It's extremely hard to imagine Griffin playing 16 games.
- Jadeveon Clowney's NFL debut was cut short by a knee injury. The No. 1 overall pick limped to the locker room late in the second quarter and did not return. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source who's talked to Clowney, that the linebacker tore his meniscus and is expected to miss four to six weeks.
- The Texans welcomed Arian Foster back to his customary workhorse role and the running back responded with his 26th career 100-yard game. Foster looked fresh and could be in line for a nice bounce back season.
- Special teams play was a major factor in the Redskins' collapse last season. It didn't look any better on Sunday. The blocked PAT was bad enough. The blocked punt for a touchdown cost them the game.
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