First start serviceable for Savage
Quarterback makes enough plays to help secure win, division
Tom Savage was repeatedly throttled, thrashed and thrown to the ground by the Cincinnati Bengals’ formidable defensive line Saturday night, a rude greeting for him in his debut as an NFL starting quarterback.
Although his offensive line had few answers for the Bengals’ pass rushers as he was sacked four times and hit 10 times overall, Savage kept taking the hits and getting up and rebounding from the rough treatment. Savage repeatedly dragged himself off of the turf at NRG Stadium, displaying toughness and ball security.
Ultimately, Savage gamely overcame the Bengals’ relentless defense to manufacture a 12-10 comeback victory that clinched the AFC South division title for the second consecutive year.
Operating a no-huddle offense to start the second half that provided him with some breathing room after being sacked three times and hit five times in the first half, Savage effectively managed the game and completed 18 of 29 passes for 176 yards, no touchdowns and, most importantly, no interceptions for a 79.1 passer rating passer rating.
The Texans relied heavily on their top-ranked defense, kicker Nick Novak and penalties by temperamental Bengals cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones to earn a playoff berth in Savage’s first regular-season start.
It definitely wasn’t a sterling performance by Savage, but he didn’t make any real glaring errors. It was a stark contrast from the erratic, turnoverprone performances by ineffectual $72 million former starting quarterback Brock Osweiler, whom Savage replaced during a comeback victory last Sunday over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Savage’s sharp throws to wide receivers Will Fuller and DeAndre Hopkins for first downs were key moments in a game-winning four-play, 75yard drive that provided the Texans with the lead for good.
Not known for his nimble feet — Savage ran the 40-yard dash in 4.97 seconds at the NFL scouting combine three years ago before being drafted in the fourth round by the Texans — the 6-4, 230-pound former Pitt one-year standout scrambled for an 11-yard first down to keep the chains moving on the decisive drive. Backup running back Alfred Blue finished off the drive and gave the Texans the lead on a 24-yard touchdown run as he followed blocks from left tackle Duane Brown and left guard Xavier Su’a-Filo.
Needing to preserve the lead later in the fourth quarter, Savage stood in the pocket with pressure bearing down on him and made arguably his best throw of the night on a 16-yard completion to Hopkins over the middle. The Texans wound up punting, though.
The lack of sound pass protection prevented Savage from initially building any semblance of timing or building on the momentum he had generated off the bench the previous week against Jacksonville, when he completed 23 of 36 passes for 260 yards and had an 85.4 passer rating.
During the Texans’ opening drive of the second half after a scoreless first half as the team fell behind 3-0, Savage completed 6 of 7 passes for 53 yards. That included a pair of 14-yard completions for first downs to tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz and wide receiver Will Fuller. The Texans manufactured an 11-play, 68-yard drive to tie the score on a 25-yard field goal by Novak.
In the fourth quarter, Savage capitalized on penalties by Jones to engineer another scoring drive. A 22-yard field goal was set up by a 24-yard completion on a wheel route by running back Akeem Hunt. However, the Texans couldn’t gain any traction in the red zone and settled for another field goal by Novak.
“I mean, I thought it settled down,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said at halftime of the pass protection. “Actually, I thought the protection was pretty decent. I think overall he held the ball a couple times, but we’ll regroup and come back and have a better second half.”