Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt had a lot to say after the Houston Texans' Week 16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals as he slammed his team's effort and desire throughout the season.
The Texans have now lost four consecutive games and have a 4-11 record after Sunday's setback in Houston. They are tied with the Atlanta Falcons for the third-worst record in the NFL.
"We're professional athletes getting paid a whole lot of money," Watt told reporters on Sunday. "If you can't come in and put work in in the building, go out to the practice field and work hard, do your lifts and do what you're supposed to do, you should not be here. This is a job. We are getting paid a whole lot of money.
"There are a lot of people that watch us and invest their time and their money into buying our jerseys and buying a whole bunch of [expletive] and they care about it. They care every single week. We're in Week 16 and we're 4-11 and there's fans that watched this game, that show up to the stadium, that put in time and energy and effort and care about this.
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"So if you can't go out there and you can't work out, you can't show up on time, you can't practice, you can't want to go out there and win, you shouldn't be here, because this is a privilege."
Watt called the Texans' latest effort a "horrendous" defensive display. Houston allowed 540 yards to Cincinnati in the 37-31 loss on Sunday. The Bengals have averaged 328 yards per game this season, the fourth-fewest in the NFL.
Watt, 31, is in his 10th NFL season. The No. 11 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft has spent his entire career with the Texans. The Texans had just two seasons with fewer than nine wins in Watt's previous nine years with the franchise.
Watt also was asked what the Texans need to do to get a win in Week 17 after Sunday's setback.
"[This is] the greatest job in the world. You get to go out and play a game," Watt said. "And if you can't care enough, even in Week 17, even when you're trash, even when you're 4-11, if you can't care enough to go out there, give everything you've got and try your hardest, that's [expletive].
"So that's how. I think it's -- there are people every week that still tweet you, that still come up to you and say, hey, we're still rooting for you, we're still behind you. They have no reason whatsoever to. We stink. But they care, and they still want to win and they still want you to be great. That's why.
"Those people aren't getting paid. We're getting paid handsomely. That's why. And that's who I feel the most bad for is our fans and the people who care so deeply and the city and the people who love it and who truly want it to be great. And it's not. And that sucks as a player, to know that we're not giving them what they deserve."
Watt had three tackles on Sunday. The five-time All-Pro has 49 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, seven passes defensed, five sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, an interception and a touchdown in 15 starts this season.
The Texans end their season with a matchup against the Tennessee Titans at 4:25 p.m. EST on Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston.This week in the National Football League.
