The Texans plan to have Watson start their Week 2 matchup Thursday against the Bengals if his injured ankle doesn't present any issues for him during Tuesday's practice, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports.
After the Texans failed to put up any points behind Tom Savage in the first half of their blowout loss to the Jaguars in Week 1, coach Bill O'Brien turned to the team's first-round pick at quarterback to begin the second half. The decision paid immediate dividends with Watson tossing a touchdown pass on his first NFL drive, but the rookie's performance was otherwise uneven, as he finished with 102 yards through the air while completing 12 of 23 passes and 16 yards on the ground while committing two turnovers. Even so, Watson provided enough of a spark to convince O'Brien that he was worthy of a starting assignment, though the quick turnaround won't afford the signal caller much time to prepare for the nod. The exact nature of the ankle injury that Watson suffered in the opener isn't known, but it's viewed as only a minor concern, so it would be surprising if it ended up preventing him from dressing Thursday.