Deshaun Watson Drops 5 TDs TNF As Texans Take Lead In AFC South [VIDEO]

Week 8 of the 2018 NFL season kicked off Thursday night as the Texans stomped out the Dolphins 42-23.

Texans beat miami 42-23 week 8 as Deshaun Watson TIES Career High 5 TDS

After eight games into the 2018 NFL season, the Houston Texans have finally found their rhythm. Thursday night’s 42-23 win over the Miami Dolphins (4-4)  is the fourth consecutive win for the team.

Houston scored on all four of their red zone opportunities and logged in 427 net yards. Miami allowed 188 yards on the ground with Houston averaging 5.4 yards-per-carry.

Second-year quarterback Deshaun Watson exploded for a season-high five touchdown passes, completed 16 of his 20 passes for 239 yards and logged in a passer rating of 156.0 ,which is less than three points shy of perfect.

Watson tied his career high, which he set last season against the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s also gone two straight weeks without throwing a single interception.

Watson gave the Texans a glimpse of this level of play last season but tore his ACL in early November during practice and was out for the rest of the year. Last year, he completed nearly 62 percent of his passes, averaged 8.3 yards per attempt, and threw 19 touchdown passes against eight interceptions in six-and-a-half games.

Waston injured his lung and ribs in the Texans’ Week 5 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.He was listed with a chest injury on the injury report all week but was a full participant in practice.

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“We were executing, sticking to the details, playing free,” Watson said. “We got our swagger back today. We just wanted to have fun and try and light up the scoreboard in prime time, and that’s what we did.”

Watson is the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to have multiple five-touchdown games within his first two seasons.

Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Justin James Watt is healthy again and was causing his usual havoc Thursday night.

Watt entered Week 8 tied for fourth in the NFL with seven sacks and left Thursday’s game with his eighth to tie for the NFL lead against Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald and Minnesota Vikings DE Danielle Hunter.

Watt finished the night with four tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and a pass defended.

“You start off 0-3,” Watt said, “and outside the whole world is falling in. But inside, we knew what we had. We knew the guys we had. The thing is, a lot of the guys, like myself, have been through adversity — injuries, stuff like that. So, we know what it’s like to be down, and we also know how to climb back out of it.”

Houston wide receiver Will Fuller had an incredible night, posting five catches for 124 yards and a 73-yard touchdown. Fuller would leave the game with a season-ending tear to his ACL.

Fuller injured his knee midway through the fourth quarter after being pushed on a deep pass from Watson. The play was flagged and ruled as a defensive pass interference.

Watson and Fuller have connected for 11 touchdowns in 11 games played together, and his presence on the field will be sorely missed.

Watson and the Texans struggled early in the season but now they stand alone atop the AFC South.

The Texans will head to Denver Sunday to face the Broncos (3-4) in Week 9. The game will air on CBS at 4:05 p.m. EST.