Due to injuries, a lack of sacks, and the fact that he plays for the boring Texans, Jadeveon Clowney hasn't gotten the credit he's deserved for his ascension in his third season. Thankfully, Clowney finally received the chance to demonstrate just how good of a player he's become on a national stage.
In the early going of the Raiders and Texans' wild-card game, Clowney nearly intercepted Connor Cook's quick pass to the outside by deflecting the ball high into the air, but he was unable to locate the ball before it touched down.
Look at how he shed the block to get into the air:
.@Clownejd says NOPE.
— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2017
Swatted.
With the @JJWatt impression for good measure. ☝️ #OAKvsHOU#NFLPlayoffshttps://t.co/5AaIlGaLjv
Clowney didn't miss out on his second chance to snag a pick. Again, on the Raiders' second series, Cook tried to set up a screen on the outside. Clowney read the play, stepped into the throwing lane, and he managed to corral the ball, turning the deflection into a stunning interception.
Tipped.
— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2017
Tipped again...
PICKED!
Oh my, @clownejd! #OAKvsHOU#NFLPlayoffshttps://t.co/JaXiRv1PP1
That interception marked the first of Clowney's NFL career. He also joined a pretty exclusive club:
.@HoustonTexans DE @clownejd joined DE @JJWatt as the only two #Texans D-linemen with an interception in the postseason. #TexansPlayoffs
— Texans PR (@TexansPR) January 7, 2017
Oh and by the way, Clowney's pick led to points. On the next play, Lamar Miller scored the game's first touchdown, putting the Texans up 10-0 in the first quarter (it's now 10-7). That could be all the scoring the Texans need in what should be a low-scoring contest.
You can follow along as we live-blog the game here.