Belichick also said Watt benefits from playing with defensive end Antonio Smith, a ninth-year veteran who made his first-career Pro Bowl last season. Smith has at least four sacks in each of his four seasons with the Texans, including 6.5 in 2011 and 5.0 so far this season.
“He’s pretty good, too,” Belichick said. “They have good balance. When I was with the Giants, we had (Hall of Fame linebacker) Lawrence Taylor. Probably the best thing that happened to Taylor, really, was (Pro Bowl linebacker) Carl Banks. I think there is probably a little bit of that by having Smith on the other side. You’ve got to deal with Watt, but you have to deal with Smith, too, so it’s a great situation for the Texans.”