Every day that passes, it seems like somehow, somewhere, the Deshaun Watson-less Houston Texans have received divine providence.
The Texans found their franchise quarterback, CJ Stroud, and franchise head coach, DeMeco Ryans in the same year, and both demonstrated their unique, impressive prowess in just their very first year together.
Following an excellent regular season, where they won the surprisingly competitive AFC South in a “win-and-in, loss-and-out” week 17 game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Texans dismantled a Cleveland Browns side en route to a respectable Divisional Round finish, where they were eventually knocked out by the #1 seeded Baltimore Ravens.
But the outlook was certainly not this optimistic just a few of years prior.
The Houston Texans Dodged A Deshaun Watson Shaped Bullet At Just The Right Time
After some very much up-and-down times during the Bill O’Brien years, which included 4 AFC South titles and also a dismal 4-12 season, before being fired in 2020 after starting the year 0-4, the Texans have become one of the strongest forces to reckon with in the entire AFC.
Deshaun Watson put in a trade request, and was subsequently accused of sexual misconduct by 22 women. After being cleared of criminal charges in early 2022, Watson was traded to the Cleveland Browns for a whopping 3 1st round picks, and wgiven a $230 million fully guaranteed deal.
Since then, Watson has had back-to-back unimpressive seasons, with many believing that he was outperformed by 39 year old veteran, Joe Flacco, after being ruled out for the season with a shoulder injury in week 10.
And in the season opener on Sunday, Deshaun once again delivered a tepid performance, culminating in a 33-17 Cleveland Browns loss against a Dallas Cowboys defense missing 3 starters; injured corner, Da’Ron Bland, and free agency depatures, Leighton Vander Esch and Dorance Armstrong; plus defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, from last year’s smothering unit.
Deshaun Watson Accused Of Sexual Assault And Battery In New Lawsuit
Yet, at this point it seems like Watson may have another pressing matter: his, to say the least, “controversial” personal life.
The lawsuit stems from an incident that occurred in Houston in October 2020, although, unlike the incidents concerning the class action suit of 22 women, this newest accusation comes from a date.
Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Deshaun Watson became frustrated at being unable to find his date’s apartment before eventually finding it and being let in by the plaintiff, known in this case as Jane Doe. The suit then describes the ensuing incident in fairly graphic, horrifying detail.
“When Watson finally arrived at Doe’s apartment, Doe had not finished putting on makeup, so she invited Watson in to have a seat in her living room while she finished getting ready. As she was putting on makeup in her bathroom, Doe left the bathroom door open and attempted a conversation with Watson, trying to ease the tension from his angry outburst. Jane Doe quickly began to believe she was talking to herself because Watson wasn’t responding.
“Jane Doe came out of her bathroom to investigate Watson’s silence and shockingly found him completely naked on her bed, lying face-down on his stomach. While Jane Doe stood there in shock, Watson turned his head and aggressively insisted that she massage him, gesturing to his buttocks. Jane Doe asked if Watson meant he wanted her to massage his back, but Watson indicated that it was his buttocks he wanted massaged.
“Jane Doe was at this point in the encounter terrified. She was in her small apartment with a much larger man, and she was still reeling from Watson’s outburst and aggression on the phone. Doe thus tried to appease Watson by rubbing his back, rather than his buttocks. Watson began insisting, again, that she focus on his glutes.
Seemingly frustrated that Doe would only rub his back, Watson then turned over, revealing an erection. Watson continued to demand that Jane Doe massage him, gesturing from his knees to his groin. Jane Doe froze in fear, unsure of how to refuse Watson’s advances without jeopardizing her safety. Confused and scared, she reiterated to Watson that she wasn’t a masseuse. Watson asked her what she wanted to do instead.
Before Jane Doe could answer, Watson grabbed Jane Doe’s leg and positioned her so that she was lying down. Watson then partially disrobed Jane Doe and penetrated her vagina without consent, implicit or explicit. Jane Doe felt paralyzed, unsure if she should risk her safety by trying to stop Watson or endure his assault.
Watson roughly sexually assaulted Jane Doe for several minutes in a ‘missionary position’ before grabbing her and flipping her over. Watson continued to assault Doe aggressively from behind. Jane Doe finally gathered the courage and strength to escape Watson. Jane Doe quickly ran to her dresser to grab a heavy piece of décor for self-defense, and yelled at Watson [to] get out of her apartment. Enraged, Watson stormed out of Jane Doe’s apartment.
This case is more graphic and explicit in its nature than the Browns’ franchise QB’s other lawsuits, and despite the incident occurring 4 years ago, Texas state law puts the statute of limitations at 5 years, leaving this case very much still open.
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