WHO DIRECTED THIS?
Osweiler says game tapes show he can start in the NFL; Texans’ O’Brien was sold on the QB after reviewing film
I believe in taking the high road when it comes to the failure of athletes, especially when talking NFL quarterbacks.
Now, some guys just aren’t good enough. Some guys aren’t built to handle game pressure.
Other guys get caught in bad situations, with bad teammates and/or bad coaching, and struggle.
Even when a quarterback fails to the magnitude that Brock Osweiler did with the Texans, I’m reluctant to put all the blame on him.
No, he isn’t good enough. And he didn’t appear to be built to handle game pressure.
So, of course, it was easy to have fun with what Osweiler had to say last week about the “proof is in the film” when he said he could be a starter in the NFL.
“I’ll take films no one has ever seen for $1,000, Alex,” was my tweet on the matter.
But let’s not ignore that Osweiler was caught in a bad situation, with some bad teammates (bad as in a receiving corps that was too inexperienced for a quarterback with his talent) and bad coaching (bad as in an offense that might not work and doesn’t fit his skill set, run by a hardheaded, hard-as-nails coach for a quarterback who apparently needed cuddling).
When it comes to what he sees … Osweiler isn’t the only one whose film-watching has some Stevie Wonder-like qualities.
Bill O’Brien won’t talk about Osweiler, but he had plenty to say about what he saw on film after the Texans signed Osweiler to a $37 million guaranteed contract, making him the secondhighest-paid player in Texans history after J.J. Watt:
What do you like about QB Brock Osweiler?
“I think the first thing you look at is his (Denver game)film, how he plays the game. He’s a big, tall guy with a strong arm and he stands in the pocket. When the rush is bearing down on him, he delivers the ball. Look, it’s not always complete, but there’s a lot that goes into that. I think the one thing that I like about this guy is that he’s got good leadership ability.
“Like I said, he’s tough, he’s got a good arm, he’s accurate. We spent a lot of time studying a lot of different guys — college guys, pro guys — and we felt Brock gave us the best chance to win.”
Do you see QB Brock Osweiler as a particularly good fit for the Texans’ offense?
“Absolutely. Yeah, I thought he was a very good fit, obviously. We felt like he was a guy that everything that he brought to the table, from his command at the line of scrimmage to his skill set as a passer. For a big guy — I’m sure you guys know his history, he played basketball — he’s a very, very good athlete. We think he’s a great fit for our offense.”
Beyond QB Brock Osweiler’s size and athleticism, what did you see that you like on film?
“You look for little things. The biggest thing to me was I felt like he had really good command at the line of scrimmage. You could tell on the coach’s tape when the play was called, he knew what he was being taught to do by (Broncos coach) Gary (Kubiak), get to the line of scrimmage, get them into the right play.
“Then, the other thing that really stood out to me was when he dropped back to pass, like I was saying in the New England game, they were bringing some pressure on him. Some of the guys were unblocked. He was having to deliver the football and take a hit. There wasn’t one time that I saw where he ducked. He stood in there and delivered the ball.
“That’s one thing that I know that a quarterback has to have, the ability to stand in there, keep his eyes down field, deliver the ball and take a hit. He did it time and time again in that game and other games. That was one thing in addition to all of his skill set that I like. That was one thing that stood out to me.”