UNDER CENTER AND SCRUTINY
The Texans’ new QB troika is ripe for analysis as the offseason program starts
Brandon Weeden, the old guy in the Texans’ quarterback room at 33, knows the score. He’s been here and done that. Weeden was sort of a Deshaun Watson when he arrived in Cleveland as a first-round draft pick, coming off a best-ever 12-1 season at Oklahoma State that ended with a major bowl victory. And he has been in Tom Savage’s shoes, having had injuries deprive him of opportunities just when they seemed to be presenting themselves.
So we’ll let Weeden serve as the voice-over for the 2017 narrative of how the Texans’ quarterback “situation” sets up. For his part, he agreed to same — but with a caveat. He’s no neutral, dispassionate observer. Lest folks forget, he’s also got a dog in this fight.
“Look,” he said, “I’m competing here, too, whether it’s for the No. 2 spot or to be the starter. And I don’t care if I’m playing my wife in checkers, I’m going to try to beat her.”
As OTAs began this week, of course, Tom Savage, was atop the depth chart, Weeden was No. 2 on the strength of his NFL résumé — 34 starts — and Watson, who doesn’t have one, nominally brought up the rear. Watching the second offseason practice, the first outsiders were allowed to view, at least two of us media types concluded Weeden appeared to be the sharpest and most settled. And the single worst pass of the session was thrown by Watson. However, he also zipped a couple tight spirals through tiny windows over the middle.
Such will be the scrutiny Watson faces every time prying eyes are present. Each minor misstep figures to equate to least 30 minutes of talk-radio time. Ditto those plays on which he dazzles. If Savage is under the gun, Watson is under the microscope, inherited from Brock Osweiler.
Change comes quickly
“That’s just the way this league is,” Weeden said. “It’s got ebbs and flows and currents and roller coasters you just can’t prepare for. Last year at this time, me and Tom were just trying to figure out our roles. Brock had just signed his contract and he was going to be the guy.”
He wasn’t. Now he’s Cleveland’s problem. But Osweiler’s going made Watson’s coming possible so we’ll write off last season — despite the fact that it ended only two wins shy of Super Bowl LI in the Texans’ own stadium — as a mostly bad dream.
Weeden, to be sure, wasn’t
culpable. He never took a snap. Savage got the call when it became painfully obvious Osweiler was clueless and showed a flash of promise in relief against a terrible Jacksonville team, but his first start against Cincinnati on Christmas Eve was at best a mixed bag, more ugly than pretty. He then got concussed in his second start at Tennessee, after which O’Brien decided to go back to Osweiler despite some public clamor for Weeden.
In 2015, he’d become the first quarterback in Texans history to preside over a victory in Indianapolis when he replaced the injured T. J. Yates, then kept the reins for a 34-6 thumping of the Titans
in Nashville before O’Brien returned in the playoffs to his recently concussed starter, Brian Hoyer, also with disastrous results.
In other words, Weeden is 2-0 in the only two games he has been allowed to finish for the Texans.
It’s also worth recalling that the end of his college career bore a striking resemblance to how swimmingly Watson put a wrap on his, although Weeden, 28 at the time, was way behind the curve age-wise after having spent four years futilely chasing a major-league baseball career.
Just as Watson is justifiably credited with leading Clemson to its greatest season ever, Weeden did the same for Oklahoma State in 2011. The 12-1 Cowboys reached No.
2 in the rankings, clobbered hated Oklahoma 44-10 and, if not for a double-overtime loss to Iowa State, likely would have played for the national championship themselves. Instead, they had to settle for a dramatic 41-38 overtime victory over Andrew Luck and Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl. Completing 72.4 percent of his passes, Weeden threw for 4,727 yards and 37 touchdowns with only 13 interceptions.
Watson, too, suffered a surprising hiccup, losing 43-42 to Pittsburgh, but the four-team playoff that had been instituted assured that no damage had been done and he’d get a second chance.
Armed with that mulligan, he made the best of it at mighty Alabama’s expense, winning an unforgettable national championship game. Watson’s stats in his final season: 4,593 yards with a 67.4 percent completion rate, 41 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
A familiar situation
Note that Weeden’s QBR in 2011 was 157.6, surpassing Watson’s 151.1 in 2016. And he arrived in Cleveland to similar fanfare, which enables him to see the Texans’ big picture clearly.
His eyes couldn’t be more wide open and he has no doubt conversed with Savage, who was a lowly fourth-round pick himself after a nomadic college career, on the subject, reminding the fourth-year pro to stay focused on his own business, controlling what he can control.
“I’ve kind of been in that situation myself, having been the 22nd pick,” he said. “You understand how this works.”
Weeden insists he isn’t taking sides, although he has become close to Savage over their season and a half together.
“You guys know me well enough — I’m a team-first guy,” he said. “I told Deshaun on day one, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask them. Bounce your ideas off me. I don’t know it all, but I’d love to help any way I can. We have an outstanding (quarterback) room. All three of us get along really well. We’ve all got each other’s backs. We’re here to help each other. No beefs between us. We’re pulling in the same direction.
“It’s fun to come to work every day right now. A lot of people lose track of that. If you dread coming to the building because things aren’t good, it can be tough.”
Savage has previously suggested last year was extremely tough with lots of friction between Osweiler and O’Brien with both men’s frustration frequently boiling over.
Weeden, however, opted not to go there, saying with a grin, “Not sure what Tom was talking about.”
How does Weeden assess his “roommates?”
”I tell Tom this all the time that there aren’t many guys who can throw the football like he does,” he said.
“Tom’s just very talented. He can make all the throws, and he throws a very catchable ball. He’s taken the time to learn the system, really dig deep into the shell of the system. He looks a lot more comfortable. He’s thinking fast. He’s reacting fast. He’s got such good arm talent.
“Deshaun? He’s a great player and a smart guy, a very down-to-earth guy who’s obviously won a lot of football games, beating some of the best college defenses in the land. You can tell he was raised right. He’s very close to his mom. A lot of college quarterbacks come in and their timing might be a little out of whack. But he has adjusted well to being under center. He’s a compact thrower who throws a firm, catchable ball. He’s just a talented kid.
“His balance, his base, it’s really good, and he’s athletic. Me and Tom, we don’t have that gene.”