HOUSTON — J.J. Watt was back in pads but had limited time during Wednesday's practice, his first in over two months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle midway through the season.
On Tuesday, the Texans' five-time All-Pro pass rusher was activated from injured reserve, paving the way for him to play in Saturday's game against the visiting Bills in the wild-card round.
While he acknowledged that Watt is in good shape, Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel said they'll monitor his endurance level throughout the course of Saturday's game.
"I think that we'll have to kind of measure to see where he is and how he's doing, because he hasn't played in eight games," Crennel said. "When you're playing a big game, your adrenaline gets picked up and you get winded a little bit faster."
Watt said he's pumped to return.
"I'm so excited to get back out there with my guys, to get back out there and try and help the team win," Watt said.
Watt added that while he will look to feed off his adrenaline, he also stressed the importance of not burning himself out too quickly.
"For me, it's about balance and harnessing that energy and that excitement, but at the same time, remaining calm and focused on the task at hand and not letting it get away," Watt said.
The defensive end said they'll be counting on the crowd to give the team an advantage over the Bills.
“That home-field advantage is extremely important and we’re looking forward to having a loud crowd to help us out, a raucous crowd," Watt said. "It’s a 3:30 game, so plenty of extra time to get a little more raucous. Hopefully it’ll be good.”
Read more from CBSsports.com