Texans QB Deshaun Watson takes cleat to eye, still throws touchdown

Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson managed to complete a touchdown pass after taking a cleat to the eye during a win against the Oakland Raiders.

Watson made the spectacular play in the fourth quarter of the 27-24 victory Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston.

The Texans trailed 24-20 with 6:35 remaining in the game when Watson took a 1st-and-goal snap from the Raiders' 9-yard line. Watson caught the ball before being swallowed up by the Raiders' pass rush. Raiders defensive end Arden Key attempted to tackle Watson during the play, but the quarterback avoided being brought down. Key's body spun around during the sequence, with his cleat going through Watson's face mask and hitting the quarterback's eye.

Watson managed to stay on his feet before throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to Darren Fells. The Texans star fell to the ground in pain after making the play, before being tended to by the Texans medical staff.

"I was just trying to make a play and try to spin him off and when I spun him, his leg kind of came up and I'm not sure where it hit," Watson told reporters. "It just hit my helmet, that's all I remember. And this eye went shut and I could see Fells going to my right. I had to re-adjust my helmet and then [my other] eye was actually going closed too, so I kind of threw it blind.

"But I assumed where he was going and adjusted and let my arm guide it. And then I didn't even see the play until after the game. I kind of just laid there and heard the crowd go crazy and knew we scored."

Watson completed 27 of 39 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns in the win. DeAndre Hopkins had 11 catches for 109 yards for the Texans. Fells had 58 yards and two touchdowns. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr completed 18 of 30 passes for 285 yards and three scores in the loss.

"If you've watched Watson play, we're not the first team he's gotten," Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said. "He's a spectacular player. He wills it out of his team, and he makes something out of nothing, and he did a lot again today, and I credit him. It's a credit to him."

The Texans face the Jacksonville Jaguars at 9:30 a.m. EDT in London on Sunday and the Raiders host the Detroit Lions at 4:05 p.m.