Deshaun Who? With no star quarterback, Texans beat the Jags

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If the Houston Texans miss Deshaun Watson, they sure have a fun way of showing it.

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With former Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor completing 21 of 33 passes for 291 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the Texans defeated the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars 37-21 in Houston.

Unsurprisingly, Watson, who faces 22 active civil lawsuits and 10 criminal complaints for sexual misconduct, was a healthy scratch. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Texans do not plan to play the 25-year-old this season.

They may not be able to trade it either, unless they lighten their demands.

Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer has reports that for the 2020 passing yardage leaders, the Texans turned down an offer of three first-round picks and three third-round picks before the draft in April.

That’s believed to be the package put in by the Miami Dolphins, who were allegedly told that Watson’s price would be four firsts and two seconds.

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The Texans appear to be playing a risky game.

Miami team officials apparently requested, but did not receive, responses from the league regardingwhether Watson would be placed on paid leave pending the resolution of his legal proceedings, or whether he will eventually be suspended without pay if he is not prosecuted.

There is speculation that a grand jury could make a decision on whether to indict Watson in late October or early November. If that’s the case and he’s not charged, the Texans might have a small window to trade Watson before the Nov. 2 deadline.

It was previously said that the Broncos, Eagles and Panthers were interested in a deal for the talented pitcher.

The group could grow, depending on the need in another month and a half, or if Watson is still owned by the Texans in the offseason.

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When the Dallas Cowboys traded running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings in 1989, they got four players and eight draft picks, including top three, in exchange.

But the first four that are acquired for a player would be the first.

UPDATING THE BEST OPTIONS

Trevor Lawrence experienced something Sunday that he had never experienced before: He suffered the first loss of his life in the regular season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ top overall pick hit 28 of 51 passes and three touchdowns in his team’s loss to the Houston Texans.

Lawrence lost just twice in three years at Clemson, in last year’s Sugar Bowl against Ohio State and the 2019 national title game against LSU, after 41 consecutive victories with his Georgia high school team, the Cartersvilles. Purple Hurricanes.

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Against the Texans, Lawrence, 21, was also intercepted three times, which never happened to him in a college game, but he also had 332 passing yards, the fourth-most in an NFL debut.

Here’s what the other top five picks from last April’s draft did in their first pro game on Sunday:

– Jets quarterback Zach Wilson completed 20 of 37 throws for 258 yards and two touchdowns to Corey Davis, while throwing an interception in a 19-14 loss to the Panthers, who were quarterbacks for the national team. 2018 New York first-round winner Sam Darnold (24 of 35 for 279 yards and a TD).

– Niners quarterback Trey Lance threw a pass, a five-yard touchdown in the first quarter to Trent Sherfield, in San Francisco’s 41-33 win over the Lions. He also had three carries for two yards. Jimmy Garoppolo silenced those calling for Lance to be the Niners’ starter by completing 17 of 25 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown.

– Falcons TE Kyle Pitts, who was the best-selected player at his position in NFL history when Atlanta selected him fourth, had four receptions for 31 yards while aiming eight times in his team’s 32-6 loss to the Eagles .

– Reconnecting with former LSU teammate Joe Burrow, Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase had five receptions for 101 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown, in a 27-24 win over Minnesota.