JJ Watt’s Honest Take on Competing With Tom Brady

The former Houston Texans superstar JJ Watt opened up on his battles against Tom Brady.

Oct 1, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Former Houston Texans JJ Watt speaks to the fans during his Ring Of Honor Ceremony at halftime during the game between the Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

While former Houston Texans superstar defensive end JJ Watt was one of the most feared defenders during his time in the NFL, there was one duo that wasn't rattled by him and, instead, frustrated him.

Watt was a huge disruptor on the defensive line, though he couldn't fool New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. The coach/signal-caller duo is regarded as one of the best in the history of the NFL, so it's no shock they frustrated Watt, too.

During an appearance on of the "Let’s Go! Podcast," Watt had a chance to reveal what it felt like to go against the Patriots dynasty and Brady.

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"It's really frustrating, especially when you're going against a mind like coach [Belichick] and a quarterback like Tom because you can do whatever you want on our side — we'll try and disguise things all week long," Watt said. 

Despite the preparations, disguises and any attempt to rattle Brady or Belichick, the legendary duo was able to take Watt and the rest of the Texans' defense out of the game.

"We're like, 'All right, we're gonna throw them this two-high and then rotate down to a single-high look.' You do it and you think you're brilliant. It's like that little kid who thinks they're fooling their parents and then at the last second their parents are like, 'No, I know exactly what you're doing,'" Watt continued.

No matter what the Texans did or how fast the defensive line got through the offensive line, Brady was too fast, as Watt alluded to.

"Tom just comes up, he makes a check, he knows exactly where he wants to go to the ball and then fires it over there. And all you did all week is for nothing," Watt explained. "And it's frustrating and it's so annoying, and then from my perspective as the defensive end, coach throws a chip my way, so I've gotta beat the tackle, I've gotta beat the chip. Lucky for me, I happen to beat them both on one play and guess what? Oh, Tom threw the ball in 1.7 seconds, so I couldn't get there anyway."

Watt was one of the best pass-rushers of his generation, and he still had a hard time giving Brady and Belichick fits. There's a reason the quarterback will be regarded as the best football player of all time.

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