Deshaun Watson is quite familiar with the quarterback he'll go toe-to-toe with Sunday afternoon.
Watson and Cam Newton go way back. The pair of dynamic signal-callers formed a bond when the Houston Texans star was in high school and seemingly have stayed in touch ever since. Speaking with the media Wednesday, Watson explained the impact Newton has had on him.
"Cam is a big brother to me, mentor, Watson said. "I won't even say mentor, just brothers. Life experiences, life advice, football advice. Just always been there for me since I was in high school. So, me and him have a great relationship. We always supported each other. He's a guy I based my game -- especially at a young age -- around what he did. He was definitely a reason why I watched Auburn in college, things like that. He's just always been my favorite quarterback. It's a cool opportunity for us to be able to go against each other, too."
It's been a trying season for Watson and Texans, whose two wins to date both have come against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. Houston likely will be hard-pressed to notch win No. 3 against a New England Patriots team that's won two straight, including an impressive victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Kickoff for this Week 11 tilt at NRG Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET.
