One sack, one swat, one finger wag — let's call it the Watt Trifecta.
J.J. Watt had one of the best seasons of any defensive player ever this year. And in tonight's playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Watt picked up where he left off.
This sack came in the first quarter of the Texans' 19-13 win over the Bengals. Watt was the point-man for Houston's dominant defensive effort, which held Cincinnati without an offensive touchdown — their only trip into the end zone came on a Matt Schaub interception — and limited them to less than 200 total yards.
In the third quarter, Watt swatted an Andy Dalton pass at the line — one of his trademark moves.
Last year, he intercepted Dalton and returned it for a touchdown in the Texans' playoff game against the Bengals. Watt's ability to defend the ball at the line has changed how a lineman can impact the opposing offense, and between his pass-rushing and surface-to-air abilities, Watt is a complicated problem for the opposing quarterback.
Watt capped it all off with a little finger wag, Dikembe Mutombo-style.
Houston heads to New England next week, where they lost during the season 42-14, so it'll take another heroic Watt effort — plus an equally effective Arian Foster and an improved passing game — to upset the Patriots.