JJ Watt: Injury-plagued Houston Texans star will ‘slow down’ against New York Giants
NEW YORK GIANTS will ‘slow down’ JJ Watt, Eli Manning has warned.
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The Giants locks horns with the Houston Texans this afternoon and NFL superstar Watt will feature.
The defensive end has faced the Giants just once previously.
He lined up against the four-time Super Bowl winners in September 2014 and had seven tackles (five solo), a pass defensed, and an eight-yard sack of Manning.
But despite Watt’s impressive display, the Giants secured a 30-17 victory four years ago.
JJ Watt has faced injury woes in recent years
Manning says they will look to neutralise the 29-year-old swiftly today.
“Obviously, you got to take care of him,” Manning said.
“You got to know where he is, and it’s not just him.
"They got a couple of studs on that defensive line who do a good job getting to the quarterback, getting sacks.
"You’ve got to plan different ways to attack it, whether you’re doubling or getting the ball out fast, just have a lot of different things, different looks for him, try to slow him down.
"Again, he’s a good player.
“He’s going to make some plays, but hopefully it’s not the ones that can change the game too much.”
Watt has been a standout performer since being drafted in 2011.
However, injuries have hampered his career in recent years.
He managed just five appearances last term and three the season before that.
Around The NFL podcast presenter Marc Sessler reckons Watt is facing an uphill battle to get back to his best.
He exclusively told Express Sport earlier this month: “JJ Watt is an interesting case because he’s had so many different types of injury.
“He was the most dominant player around and you wonder if you’ll see that again.
“My biggest concern for Watt is the line because you’ve got to keep him safe - and coming back from that kind of injury usually there’s a lag.
“You might not see the full version of him until end of the season or next year.”
Watt is a three-time defensive player of the year.
He’s also been selected for the Pro Bowl on four occasions.