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O’Brien says top two QBs play game in different ways
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — After watching tape of the 27-17 loss at Carolina, Texans coach Bill O’Brien praised his quarterbacks without going overboard the day after the first preseason game.
In the interview tent next to The Greenbrier Sports Performance Center, O’Brien was asked about starter Tom Savage and backup Deshaun Watson. Each time he was asked a question about Watson, O’Brien found a way to work Savage into his answer.
Savage ignited a touchdown drive. Watson led drives to a field goal and touchdown. He scored the touchdown on a 15-yard run.
For a rookie making his first appearance in the NFL, Watson was impressive.
“Something that’s impressed me from the time I met him is his overall poise,” O’Brien said Thursday. “I think
he’s a very poised guy. He plays the game in a calm way.
“Obviously, nothing’s too big for him. He’s been in big games. For his first NFL game, I’m sure he was slightly nervous, but it didn’t show.”
Watson obliterated Alabama’s defense in the last two national championship games, including igniting Clemson to a victory over the Crimson Tide that won the title last season, so playing a preseason game before a halfempty stadium in Charlotte, N.C., wasn’t going to faze him.
Watson replaced Savage in the second quarter and engineered a field-goal drive. In the third quarter, Watson led a touchdown drive that he capped with a scoring run that pulled the Texans within 24-17.
Watson finished 15-of-25 for 179 yards and a rating of 81.9. He was sacked three times and flushed from the pocket a lot more.
Half right, half wrong
What was most impressive about Watson was the way he didn’t panic under pressure. He didn’t throw into coverage. He wasn’t shy about throwing the ball away when he couldn’t find a receiver.
“There’s a lot to build on,” O’Brien said about Watson. “There’s a lot to correct. He knows that.
“I’d say he was about 50-50 on some of the schemes we run, right or wrong. He was right 50 percent of the time, wrong 50 percent of the time, and that’s to be expected with a rookie.”
And there was so much to like about Watson’s performance, including his arm strength and his mobility to avoid the rush and run for yards — talent that was on display for the last three seasons at Clemson.
“His overall poise and demeanor and the way he sees the game have always been something that’s pretty impressive to me,” O’Brien said. “And it’s the same for Tom. They have different skill sets. They play the game in different ways.
“I thought Tom played the game pretty resiliently, too. He came back from a couple of tough series as an offense and was able on the third series to lead us to a touchdown. Both guys had their moments.”
Savage started slow with a pair of three-and-out drives before O’Brien switched to a no-huddle and allowed the quarterback to roll out and connect on some passes that seemed to build momentum.
The result was a 13-play, 75yard touchdown drive that ended with Alfred Blue running for a 16-yard touchdown.
On that possession, Savage was 8-of-8 for 67 yards.
‘Had their moments’
Savage took a seat on the bench after his 9 of 11 performance that produced 69 yards and a rating of 92.8.
“I thought both of those guys had their moments where they were really playing well,” O’Brien said. “There are things we need to correct as an offense, not just them.
“There are things, communication-wise, we have to get together with the line and the receivers and the backs and make sure we’re all on the same page.”
On the Savage-led touchdown drive, the offense had to overcome three penalties — a false start and two holding calls.
“To me, it was a typical first preseason game,” O’Brien said. “There was some good, some not so good, (but) a lot to build on.”
The Texans committed 12 penalties for 91 yards. Penalties especially hurt in the first half in all three phases.
“I saw some things that we better make sure we correct because if we don’t get them corrected now, they’re going to keep coming up, and eventually they bite you,” O’Brien said.