J.J. Watt. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
(WSCR) Heading into the Bears matchup against the Texans on Sunday night, one key matchup to watch is J.J. Watt versus Gabe Carimi.
While the two won’t line up against each other on every play, the former college teammates will certainly face one another. Watt, who has 10 pass deflections on the season, is in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year.
One NFL expert said Carimi has no choice but to show up and block Watt.
“There are no excuses,” Matt Bowen of the National Football Post and Chicago Tribune told The Mully and Hanley Show. “Maybe earlier in the season because Gabe didn’t see that much time as a rookie. Some people may say, ‘Oh, well this is his rookie season coming up.’ That’s fine, but even if you’re a rookie this year, by the midway point of the season, if you’re a starter, you’re a starter. You’re not a rookie any more. If you played games, you have experience and you’re expected to do your job. I agree.
LISTEN: Matt Bowen on The Mully and Hanley Show
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“The matchups (Carimi) has is the toughest matchup he’s going to see all season. J.J. Watt, from what I’ve seen on film and the scouts I’ve talked to, he’s a dominant football player. He’s got the perfect blend of power and speed and athletic ability. I’ll tell you what, he’s got 10 passes deflected already. There are DBs who would die to have those numbers and he’s doing it at the line of scrimmage.”
