Deshaun Watson was magnificent on Sunday as the Houston Texans dismantled the Tennessee Titans, 57-14, and he joined Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton in an exclusive rookie club.
Until Oct. 1 when Watson passed for 283 yards with four touchdowns and rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown, no other NFL rookie had done what Tarkenton did as a rookie back in 1961.
Deshaun Watson joined Fran Tarkenton as only rookie QBs in NFL history w/ 250+ passing yards, 4 TD passes + rushing TD in single game.
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) October 1, 2017
Tarkenton can still claim superiority. He pulled off the feat in his first-ever NFL start against the Chicago Bears. Leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 37-13 win, Tarkenton passed for 250 yards on the button with four touchdowns, adding 11 yards and a score on the ground.
It took Watson until his third NFL start to match the legendary passer. What a slouch, right?
Certainly, looking at what Watson has done the past two weekends against the New England Patriots and Titans, he’s well on his way to establishing himself as one of the most exciting young players in the league today. Whether he can string together a Hall of Fame career like Tarkenton remains a mystery we won’t be able to unravel for quite some time.