3 NFL Storylines to Watch in Week 8

The First Big Test of Deshaun Watson's Pro Career

A rookie quarterback facing the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field, what could go wrong?

Well, since Pete Carroll took over as the head coach of the Seahawks back in 2010, rookie quarterbacks have gone a combined 1-8 with 8 touchdowns and 9 interceptions when facing his defense in Seattle.

So what we have here is a great test to see exactly where Houston Texans phenom Deshaun Watson truly stands at this stage in his very young career. After a dreadful start in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Watson has taken the league by storm. And although we can't take all credit away from the player, his recent matchups have been extremely favorable. Prior to last week's bye, Watson threw for 14 touchdowns in only four games while facing three of the seven worst pass defenses, per numberFire's metrics.

Seattle ranks as the second-best team against the pass; albeit a distant second to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

According to Sharp Football Stats, Houston ranks ninth in explosive pass rate (passes that gain 20-plus yards) since Watson became the starting quarterback. Seattle is yielding these plays at the fifth-lowest rate this season. However, if you remove the results of Week 1 where Seattle faced future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers and review their performance over the last five games, Seattle rises to the very top in preventing big pass plays.

Vegas isn't keen on the Texans in this one, either. As of Friday morning, Houston was a 5.5-point underdog with an implied team total of just 20.25 points, among the lowest on the slate.

Coming out of the NFL Draft, there were several reasons to be concerned with Watson's outlook. While those fears appear to have been quelled at the moment, Watson has yet to face a defense that resembles anything like this Seattle unit.