All of the Houston Texans players and many fans had a big red circle around December 4, 2022 on their calendars since early August when they found out their team would be hosting the Cleveland Browns on that date.

What’s so significant about playing a football game against the Browns in NRG Stadium?

That’s the day their former first-round pick and producer of many victories—DeShaun Watson—would be able to play in the NFL again after serving an 11-game suspension for conduct unbecoming an NFL player.

But this time Watson would be wearing the orange and white-colored uniform of the Cleveland Browns as their starting quarterback, despite the fact he hasn’t had any contact from an opposing player for 700 days, coincidentally in this same NRG Stadium.

To say Watson was rusty would be grossly understated—he looked like a Pop Warner quarterback who got thrown in to play with the big boys.

If Watson wasn’t playing against perhaps the worst football team in America, his team would have been trampled much like the Texans have been 10 times this season and he would have been relegated to the bench before halftime.

But he’s been relatively lucky throughout his football career and always with a pretty decent team until now, but I think he’s in for a rough final five games in 2022. And he’ll never have to worry about having enough money for a quick back-rub, Watson is rolling in dough.

An article in Sunday’s Houston Chronicle described Watson, “A dynamic QB in a town starved for football success, he was the best Houston has seen since Warren Moon. (Google him, kids, he was spectacular).”

He had the city of Houston by the short hairs while playing for the Texans. Everywhere you looked there would be someone wearing a Houston jersey with Watson No. 4 on the back.

After he claimed to never play another down with the Texans, some wealthy—but bitter—fan offered to pay a few bucks for everyone’s Watson jerseys and had a huge bonfire with them.

“In the end, Watson, the man who would be king, proved to be a fraud. Not as a player, mind you, but as a person, He did well because he was good.

“No longer good people, reputation ruined, Watson somehow convinced the Browns to sign him to the richest guaranteed contract in NFL history,” the article continued.

Sunday the Cleveland Browns’ fans got their first glimpse of their high-dollar quarterback in action.

He led his team to victory only because the Houston Texans gave them two easy touchdowns on a four-yard fumble return and a 16-yard interception return.

The Browns also scored on a 76-yard punt return that Watson had nothing to do with, plus a pair of field goals. The closest Watson came to lighting the scoreboard himself was when he threw a pass in the end zone—right at a Houston interceptor.

Watson’s statistics weren’t anything to write home to Cleveland about, either. He completed 12 of 22 passes for a skimpy 131 yards—the worst of his career-- and an interception. He posted the lowest OBR rating of his career (28.6), but yet, walked off the field as a two-touchdown winner 27-14.

“NRG Stadium was nowhere near full, but those on hand brought energy to boo Watson every time he came out of the Browns’ huddle in the first half,” the article stated.

The sad fact is that the Texans defense played well enough to win. The only problem is that Watson’s poor performance was matched by Houston quarterback Kyle Allen.

The Houston Texans have all but locked up the No. 1 overall 2023 draft pick. And if they were smart, they would select TCU quarterback Max Duggan, who can do everything as well a Watson did at Clemson.

And as a bonus, Duggan doesn’t visit massage therapists!!!

KWICKIES…Hopefully the Lamar Cardinals will emulate Colorado’s search methods for a new head football coach and open-up those purse strings and land someone who’s been a successful head coach. There’s a few out there who want to get back as a head man and may just accept an offer from Lamar. Deion Sanders signed a five-year contract with Colorado for $29.5 million last weekend and plans to bring his Jackson State quarterback son with him.

When Matt Nagy was an assistant coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, he spent a lot of time with Patrick Mahomes before the draft, so when he was chosen No. 10 in the first round, he was very familiar with most aspects of the Chiefs’ offense. Then he spent the first year observing this offense in action and the rest is history.

And speaking of Patrick Mahomes, he surprisingly is favored over Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts for this season’s MVP award, according to Caesar’s Sports Book.

And speaking of Caesar’s, their odds to win the College Football Playoffs are Georgia -135 (You must bet $135 to win $100), Michigan +$290, Ohio State +$350 and TCU +$1600.

Sunday, the two teams trying to catch the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East Division—the New York Giants and Washington Redskins-- played to a 20-20 overtime tie. The Commanders (old Redskins) are the only NFL team without an overtime victory since 2017.

JUST BETWEEN US…News broke early Monday afternoon that Houston Astros’ ace and 2022 AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander agreed to a two-year, $86 million contract with the New York Mets. He’s going to miss the warm hospitality of Houston, going to a city where most people don’t even know (or like) their neighbors. And if he thought the Astros were a weak-hitting team for him, wait until he sees what the Mets’ lineup looks like.