J.J. Watt will be a massive test for Eagles

There might not be another offensive lineman in the NFL who knows Texans defensive end J.J. Watt as well as Andrew Gardner. They were teammates in Houston for three seasons, and as a backup, Gardner often had to face Watt in practice.

So how often?

"Only every day in practice for three years," Gardner, now an Eagles backup, said on Tuesday.

As the Eagles prepare for Sunday's game against the Texans and arguably the most dominating defensive player in the NFL, the offensive linemen who will likely be charged with trying to block Watt have gone to Gardner for inside information.

But Watt is a tough nut to crack because he has few negative traits and is equally adept at playing several spots across a defensive front. He's big (6-foot-5, 289 pounds), long (34-inch arms), fast (he once ran a 4.7-second 40-yard dash) and is seemingly tireless.

"He's one of those guys where it's a combination of talent and work ethic," Gardner said. "When you watch him the last few years, he keeps elevating his game. That's what it comes down to - he's a talented guy who works hard every day on the field, off the field, and he gets results."

Some NFL analysts have said he's the best defensive lineman the league has seen since the late, great Reggie White. And he's only 25 and in his fourth season.

Pass rushing is his forte. Watt has seven sacks in eight games this season after recording 101/2 and 201/2 sacks in the previous two seasons. But he can be just as disruptive against the run and has done it all this year. He already has returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown and a fumble 45 yards for a score. He has batted seven passes down at the line.

"He has an array of moves," Gardner said. "When that first move doesn't work, it's the second and third effort. And he takes advantage of his long arms by batting down passes and getting around guys."

The Eagles aren't ideally equipped to handle Watt this Sunday. Pro Bowl left guard Evan Mathis, who is coming back from a knee sprain, won't come off injured reserve until next week. Matt Tobin has been his replacement, and while he has shown improvement and already faced talented ends such as Justin Smith and Calais Campbell, he has had his struggles as expected.

But Tobin alone won't be responsible for Watt. All five linemen could see him at some point. Right guard Todd Herremans has a torn left biceps and is apparently preparing to play through an injury that often requires season-ending surgery. If he can't go, Dennis Kelly or Gardner would be his likely replacement.

The Eagles are expected to get center Jason Kelce back after sports hernia surgery. And tackles Jason Peters and Lane Johnson are healthy and steady. But Watt is likely to focus on pass rushing from inside, where he typically does most of his damage.

"He's certainly a guy that can wreck the game and he's proven it," Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said. "He's taken interceptions back for touchdowns. He's a very difficult guy to block. He's going to be a tough challenge for our guys."

The Eagles may be forced to double Watt or chip-block him with running backs and tight ends. But his versatility - he can move almost anywhere along the line before the snap and pose a threat - makes sliding extra protection to his spot difficult.

"It's not like you can double him because he shows up all over the place," Shurmur said. "He's on the right. He's on the left. He's in the middle. I heard an interview at one point where I think that's part of their scheme, but there's also a little bit of randomness that he can do, as well."

Defending the run, he'll often use brains over brawn.

"On run blocks, he won't attack you. He'll try to avoid contact," Tobin said. "He'll play behind blocks. He won't do it just to be lazy. He does it because it makes sense."

Gardner isn't the only Eagles player to know Watt well. There are seven former Texans on the roster and linebacker Connor Barwin played alongside Watt for two seasons. He saw the former 11th overall draft pick out of Wisconsin blossom from budding rookie to the NFL leader in sacks in his second season.

"When you first saw him, he was a big boy. Took football very serious and always seemed to have something to prove," Barwin said. "He was very self-driven."

Mathis has yet to face Watt in the regular season. He saw a bit of him in the Pro Bowl in January, but he said he had been anticipating this matchup. Unfortunately, even though he said he's physically able to play, Mathis isn't eligible to come off designated-return injured reserve until the Nov. 10 Panthers game.

"For someone to have that much talent is one thing," Mathis said of Watt, "but to actually match that talent with effort is what produces those kind of results."