It's always fun to get the reaction of new Houston Texans after their first games playing with J.J. Watt.

They know how good he is, they have heard about his talent, but they still can't believe it.

Nose tackle Ryan Pickett had that experience on Sunday, in a game for which Pro Football Focus gave Watt the highest grade they have ever given him. Pickett was a first-round pick back in 2001. He spent the first part of his career with the St. Louis Rams until 2005, and the second part of it with the Green Bay Packers until last season. The longer someone has been around, the harder it is to surprise them. But Watt did it.

"I saw him hit the quarterback every time the quarterback dropped back," Pickett said. "How'd he get there so quick? his first step is like amazing fast. It's just unreal.

"... You got a lot of guys who's tall and athletic and stuff. He just has a factor that measurements just don't tally up. He's just a freak. He's a monster. He can do things that I wouldn't expect someone to be able to do. I see him backdoor playing and close on a running back, and it's like the fastest redirect. He closes on a 4.5 running back like nothing. He's real explosive."

I asked Pickett to compare Watt to someone else and he couldn't.

"He's different," he said. "That's the different thing about him, he's kind of making his own category. He's kind of unique in the sense of his build, the position he plays. He plays three technique, he plays end, he can play anywhere. He's kind of unique. He kind of makes up his own category."

But to compare his impact, Pickett had a few ideas.

"I thought a lot of that with Clay Matthews," he said. "You just watched him you were like 'wow, this guy's a difference-maker.' I played with (Charles) Woodson. He had that factor where he could just make a play out of nothing. That's what J.J. is. When clutch time comes, he's always there to make a play. Some things you just can't coach, you just have it."