HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 15: Will Fuller #15 of the Houston Texans catches a touchdown pass against the Cleveland Browns in the second quarter at NRG Stadium on October 15, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

After missing the first three games of the season due to injury, Texans receiver Will Fuller experienced immediate success. When rookie sensation Deshaun Watson was lost for the season Fuller disappeared from the offense. What has become abundantly clear is that Fuller’s success is tied to Watson.

Fuller is not a player who will catch a high volume of passes during a game. In fact Fuller is considered the deep threat in the Houston offense. With Watson’s ability to throw the ball down the field accurately, Fuller was able to thrive. There was a three game stretch where Fuller averaged more than 25 yards per catch.

Fuller has the benefit of playing alongside one of the most prolific receivers in the game in DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins presence forces opposing defenses to focus in on him which allows Fuller to take advantage of single coverage. A player like Fuller is able to be the deep threat with Hopkins being the primary receiving target.

Fuller’s success came to an abrupt end when Watson suffered a season ending injury. The Texans offense no longer had a quarterback who could get the ball down the field consistently. Fuller went from averaging 69.75 yards and 1.75 touchdowns per game to averaging 24.33 yards per game and zero touchdowns. The forced change of Watson to Tom Savage has made Fuller a non-factor.

Fuller is still playing next to Hopkins but Savage is not capable of throwing the ball downfield like Watson. The absence of Watson has taken the Texans from being potent to being rather sluggish. Watson averaged 8.3 yards per attempt while Savage averages 6.3 yards per attempt. Two whole yards less makes a huge difference over the course of a season.

The Texans offense has changed with Savage in at quarterback. No longer can Houston pass as frequently and that shows in the difference in how many yards each quarterback averages per game. Watson averaged 242.7 yards per game while Savage averages 176.5 yards per game. The change in philosophy offensively for the Texans has a direct impact on Fuller’s output. The Texans change in philosophy results in a lack of chances for Fuller. The play calling is relying more on shorter pass plays which eliminates Fuller’s impact for the Texans.

Savage left last week’s game with a concussion and in his place T.J. Yates will get the start. With Yates the Texans offense will still rely on shorter passes. Yates averages 6.8 yards per attempt over the course of his career. It is unlikely that Fuller starts to catch the ball downfield in an even more restricted Texans passing game. Yates is not capable of pushing the ball downfield effectively and Fuller will continue to be absent for the rest of the season.

Will Fuller thrived with Deshaun Watson lining up under center. The Texans looked dangerous offensively and appeared it could carry Houston on a playoff run. Without Watson the Texans are unable to keep up and have fallen out of contention entirely. In a way the Fuller and the Texans success are both tied Watson. Without Watson Fuller is not a consistent threat and the Texans are unable to win games. With the season essentially over, the Texans have a potential lethal offense to look forward to next season. That is as long as Watson comes back healthy and ready to compete.