Deshaun Watson's brand of wizardry doesn't require full sight.
The Houston Texans' quarterback couldn't fully see after being kicked in the eye while spinning out of a sack late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-24 win over the Oakland Raiders. Despite the impairment, Watson was able to fix his helmet and perfectly place a ball to tight end Darren Fells for the go-ahead touchdown with 6:26 left in regulation.
"I had to readjust my helmet, and then this eye was actually going closed, too, so I kind of threw it blind," Watson said, via ESPN's Sarah Barshop. "But I kind of assumed where he was going and kind of adjusted and let my arm guide it. And then I didn't even see the play until after the game. I just kind of just laid there and heard the crowd go crazy and knew we scored."
Watson was checked on the sideline after the kick to the eye but didn't miss a snap. He returned to the game to help the Texans gain three first downs on the final drive to ice the tilt. Watson went 3-of-3 passing for 28 yards and one TD after his eye got kicked -- each pass went for either a first down or a touchdown.
The "blind" play was the culmination of Watson once again using his fourth-quarter magic to will the Texans to a victory. The quarterback threw three red-zone touchdowns -- a week after struggling in that area -- to propel Houston (5-3) to a much-needed win to keep pace in the AFC South, which saw all four teams in the division come out victorious Sunday.
"You see him do it time and time again," O'Brien said. "And then [he] delivered the ball and ended up taking an -- accidentally -- taking a foot in the eye and just came back and finished the game. That's who he is. He's a winner. We're thrilled that he's on our team. He's a great player, and he's a great leader."
