J.J. Watt has 13 tackles, including three for loss, four quarterback hits and a pass breakup. The glaring stat is the one not listed -- sacks. He has none.
The Texans defensive end has 76 in his career. He’s led the league twice -- in 2012 and 2015 -- and twice had 20.5 -- in 2012 and 2014.
According to NFL Research, Watt has played more defensive snaps than any other defensive end without a sack. He has played 157 snaps. Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence leads the league with 6.5.
But the league’s three-time defensive player of the year, who missed 13 games last season after needing a second back surgery, isn’t worried about his stats.
“I think stat-watching becomes very tricky,” Watt said, via quotes distributed by the team. “Just because the numbers may not be there, whatever it may be, it’s not necessarily always reflective of exactly what’s happening. If I have to take on two guys or three guys for our guys to go get four forced fumbles in a game, I’ll do that all game long. I don’t care. If I end the year with zero sacks, but we have 40 as a team and 20 forced fumbles, I’ll take that all day long. Especially the older I get in my career, the more I don’t care about the stats to be honest with you. All I want to do is win football games. But they will come. The hits are there. They’re coming. But if teams are going to throw the whole house and the kitchen sink at me, we have some incredible players who are going to make great plays.”