Former Houston Texans star JJ Watt was on the call for Sunday’s epic comeback victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. With backup quarterback Davis Mills under center, the Texans overcame a 19-point fourth quarter deficit en route to a 36-29 victory to move one game closer to .500.
"I've always had the mentality to stay confident regardless of what happened on the play before. It's kind of like the old basketball mentality - shooters shoot. If you stop you're not going to see shots go in,” Mills said after throwing for 292 yards and throwing for two touchdowns while rushing for another in the win.
As Watt called the game, he made two very subtle mistakes that were noticeable to Jaguars fans who thought he might not be calling a neutral game.
During the broadcast, Ian Eagle asked Watt what his perspective is like after playing so many games for the Texans only to come back as an announcer.
"It's been very strange to see this stadium from this perspective," Watt said. "To see the Jaguars having so much success against us, give them a ton of credit for what they've been able to do and what Liam Coen has been able to do. But being on the field with my son and my wife was very special, and it's a memory that I'll have forever."
Media insider Richard Deitsch also watched Watt’s performance and revealed what he can improve on while also noting the future Hall of Famer used “we” when referring to his old team.
“Watt would be aided long-term by being more assertive on penalty calls. Viewers want to know definitively if you think the call was good or not. He used the word ‘we’ at least once when referring to the Texans (he played 10 seasons in Houston), but the broadcast came off as neutral to my ears,” Deitsch said.
Despite the mistake, fans remain mostly positive about Watt’s performance across most CBS broadcasts this season.
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.