Texans defensive end J.J. Watt and left tackle Duane Brown have been named to the Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers Association 2012 All-NFL Team.
Watt, who led the NFL with a franchise-record 20.5 sacks, was also selected as the PFW/PFWA Defensive MVP for 2012.
"It's an honor," Watt said. "I appreciate everybody voting for me. It's more an award for my teammates and coaches. I really appreciate everything they do for me. I wouldn't be able to do this without them, and hopefully I get it for many years to come. Obviously, that's my goal. I hope I make Texans fans proud, and I'm always going to work my hardest to make you proud for years to come. I love you guys and thank you again, and let's go win a couple more games."
In addition to leading the league in sacks, Watt set an NFL record for a defensive lineman with 16 passes defensed. He had 81 tackles and led the Texans with 39 tackles for loss, 42 quarterback hits and four forced fumbles. He was involved in 95 plays of zero or negative yardage.
"He had the best season ever," Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. "I mean, nobody has had a season like that. Nobody has made that many tackles, that many sacks, that many pass breakups and that many tackles for loss or tackles for no gain in the history of football. Nobody has had a year like that. It's the best I've ever seen, sure."
Phillips has coached in the NFL for 36 seasons, during which time he has coached Hall of Fame defensive linemen Reggie White, Bruce Smith and Elvin Bethea.
"He's had the best year ever," Phillips said. "He's had the absolute best year any defensive lineman has ever had. I can't say enough great things about him because he's a great player."
Brown, who has started 76 games in five seasons in the NFL, made his first-career Pro Bowl this season after earning second-team All-Pro honors from the Associated Press in 2011. Brown has been penalized for holding just twice in his NFL career after being drafted in the first round out of Virginia Tech in 2008.
"It's a huge honor," Brown said. "I've been trying to play my hardest, play my best all year long. I've been against some pretty tough competition. There are a lot of great tackles in this league, a lot of people that are playing at a high level. I'm just honored, humbled, by the award... and it motivates me getting the recognition. I know a lot of eyes are on me, a lot of people expecting me to perform, and none bigger than this week."
The Texans were one of eight teams with at least two players selected to the PFW/PFWA All-NFL Team.
"I would think that 99's (Watt) got a few awards coming here at some point," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said on Thursday. "It's a good a season as I've ever been around, but we'll wait and see what happens. He's a special player, special person.
"For me, with Duane, it's really kind of special because Duane's a tight end in college, goes to tackle, comes to us. We throw him to the wolves in year one. We start him from the get-go. I think he's been a Pro Bowl player for a few years now, but this league really makes you work at it. The players really make you do it over and over again before they recognize you. It's a well-earned situation for him and very much deserved."
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