CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON (AP) — J.J. Watt’s contract is done, so now the focus is on football and Robert Griffin III.
RG3 and the Washington Redskins play in Houston on Sunday, an opener matching two teams looking to bounce back from disappointing seasons with first-time NFL coaches. Jay Gruden takes over for Washington and Bill O’Brien for the Texans.
Under Gruden, Griffin has looked shaky at times in the preseason as he learns the system and tries to become more of a pocket passer. Ready or not, it’s time for the real thing and figuring out a way to avoid Watt, who leads the NFL in quarterback hits (108) and tackles for loss (74) since he entered the league in 2011.
“Hopefully we’ll cross paths on Sunday, you know?” Watt said.
Watt is fresh off signing a six-year, $100 million extension. Gruden, of all people, knows how much he earned it. Before he became Redskins coach in January, Gruden was Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator and watched Houston’s star defensive end take over playoff games against the Bengals in 2011 and ’12.
“If you’re going to pay a defensive player that type of money, you’d want him to have the tenacity and the production that J.J. has,” Gruden said. “He is a great leader and plays hard every single snap, and is the most disruptive defensive lineman in the business.”
As if Watt isn’t enough to prepare for, the Texans added another potential top pass rusher in first overall draft pick Jadeveon Clowney, who’ll play outside linebacker. Gruden, also the Redskins’ offensive coordinator, doesn’t have a feel for where the two will line up because he only saw them on the field together for about 20 snaps in the preseason.
The Redskins can counter the Texans’ rushers with one of the league’s most effective ground attacks. Alfred Morris has been the workhorse over the past two years, with 2,888 yards and 20 touchdowns.
“It’s going to be very important for us to establish some kind of running game,” Gruden said. “If we get behind and it turns into a drop-back pass fest, it won’t be pretty. So it’s very important for us to stick with the run, run the ball and do the best we can in that regard to take some pressure off our quarterback and our linemen, for that matter.”
The Texans, meanwhile, will break in Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was chosen the starter by O’Brien during summer minicamp. He has effective weapons with star receiver Andre Johnson back for a 12th season and DeAndre Hopkins looking for a breakout year after catching 52 passes for 802 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. Arian Foster will join Fitzpatrick in the backfield, seeing his first action since hurting his back in the middle of last season.
“There is a lot of excitement,” Fitzpatrick said. “Just getting out there and playing a full game and going through all of the different situations and having all those guys at my disposal for a full game. I think we’re excited about that.”
Here are some things to watch in Sunday’s game:
QB SHUFFLE: If Fitzpatrick comes out, the Texans will turn to Ryan Mallett. The 26-year-old Mallett, acquired in a weekend trade with New England, saw almost no game action with the Patriots backing up Tom Brady for three seasons. But he has a head start on learning the Texans’ offensive calls after working with O’Brien and quarterbacks coach George Godsey in New England. O’Brien was the Patriots’ offensive coordinator in Mallett’s rookie year and Godsey was an offensive assistant there in all three of Mallett’s seasons.
“It makes it easier,” O’Brien said. “Obviously, when you have a guy that knows the basis of your offense, how to call a play, the cadence, the formations, the motions, the shifts, the different personnel groupings, how we call defense, it makes it a lot easier when you have a guy that you think can help you as a backup quarterback.”
STAR POWER: DeSean Jackson was the Redskins’ biggest offseason acquisition. Since 2008, Jackson leads the NFL in touchdown catches (17) and receptions (22) covering 50 or more yards.
FIRST TIMER: Gruden is the 29th coach in Redskins’ history. His predecessors are 10-14-3 in their debuts. He replaces the fired Mike Shanahan.
RAMBO, PART II: Bacarri Rambo didn’t have much of a rookie season for the Redskins. He won the starting job out of training camp, then lost it because he simply couldn’t tackle.
Now, with Brandon Meriweather suspended for the first two games for another helmet-to-helmet hit, Rambo could get another chance. He’s been working with the starters this week, and he says his play is like “night and day” as compared to last year.
“It’s like I’m not as worried or frustrated or stressed or thinking a lot,” Rambo said. “It’s like I’m more confident in myself this year.”
WELCOME BACK: Safety Ryan Clark will start at free safety and play in his first game with the Redskins in 3,159 days. He last played for Washington in the NFC wild-card game against Seattle on Jan. 14, 2006. Clark spent the last eight season with the Steelers, winning one Super Bowl.
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AP Sports Writer Joseph White contributed from Washington, D.C.
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