True Teamwork
J.J. Watt uses a script writer for his burrito line: NFL Sound secrets revealed
J.J. Watt has been getting a lot of credit this week for the "I've eaten burritos bigger than you" zinger he directed at Baltimore Ravens tailback Ray Rice during last Sunday's game. And rightly so.
It's a hilarious line with a truthful punch — Watt stands 6-foot-6 and nearly 300 pounds; Rice comes in at 5-foot-8, 212 and he was buried by the Texans' defense (again).
But it turns out that Watt received some help on the burrito crack. Linebacker Connor Barwin — one of the Texans' resident characters — deserves a big assist for making Watt a sound-bite legend.
"I'll give you some motivation," Barwin tells Watt in a sideline moment captured on the NFL show. "Did you tell Ray Rice he's the size of a burrito yet?"
The full NFL Sound FX episode featuring Watt debuted Wednesday night on the NFL Network and it revealed a lot more than the 10-second preview clip shown on ESPN on Monday that fueled the Watt burrito frenzy.
It turns out that Barwin got on Watt for being so boring that the NFL would never choose to mic him up again (every week Sound FX chooses players to attach microphones to during games) and planted the burrito line.
"I'll give you some motivation," Barwin tells Watt in a sideline moment captured on the NFL show. "Did you tell Ray Rice he's the size of a burrito yet?"
Watt grinned, shook his head — and then later in the game, delivered the signature burrito line to Ray. And the Ravens tailback promptly cursed at him (which wasn't shown on the image-friendly NFL Network).
Barwin's bit was brilliant. But he needn't have worried. For Watt was more than interesting throughout the game. His best line actually may have come after right guard Marshal Yanda took him to the ground on a play.
"That wasn't holding," Yanda insists to Watt.
"What, you call it tackling?" Watt shoots back.
The behind-the-scenes look also shows how Watt essentially called his own shot on the pass he deflected that turned into a Johnathan Joseph interception and 52-yard touchdown return. "Did I tell you I was going to get you one," Watt screams at Joseph. "Hell ya."
The best moment of the Watt-carried show (let's just say Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will not be winning any Emmys anytime soon) was the insight it revealed on how Watt became the man leading the Texans defense in its pregame circle (a development first reported by CultureMap) for the first time.
No. 99's Texans teammates moved so the second-year player would be thrust into the leadership role.
"Am I stuck in the middle?" Watt asks, clearly a little surprised. Then he launches into a speech that would make Brian Cushing proud. ". . . Last week (the Green Bay loss) was a fluke!" Watt screams at his teammates. "That ain't us! . . . Top of the AFC. It's ours to take. Let's take it!"
Of course, the Texans go on to more than take it, dominating their new rival Ravens 43-13. Afterwards, Watt has some final words for Yanda, who tries to make something of a lame, half-hearted apology for one of his questionable blocks, that's captured on camera.
"We'll see you again," Watt says.
