College, pro sports events moved or postponed.
Savage has made it a point to speed up his thought process
NEW ORLEANS — The clock ticks down fast inside Texans starting quarterback Tom Savage’s head while his helmet is on a swivel as he scans the field to find his targets.
Tick, tick, tick. Boom. Savage fires a sharp spiral to wide receiver Jaelen Strong, avoiding the New England Patriots’ incoming pass rush.
The internal clock for a quarterback is an instinctive process built around the knowledge that a painful hit or a disrupted throw could happen if he doesn’t get rid of the football soon enough. Thinking too long instead of reacting tends to lead to sacks and potential turnovers.
Being too deliberate and indecisive has made Savage vulnerable to big hits in the past. It has become less of a problem this Savage continues on C4
preseason despite some uneven pass protection without threetime Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown along with a rotating cast of receivers due to injuries.
“You have to know what the defense is doing,” Savage said. “In this league, if you are reacting out there, it’s too late. You have to know and you have to expect what this defense is doing and what their blitzes are and what their coverages are and be on the same page with your receivers and throw it on time.”
Savage’s ability to read defenses and go through his progressions are key factors in him holding off the challenge from talented rookie backup Deshaun Watson.
“I like Savage a little better right now,” an NFL scouting director said. “From a consistency standpoint, he’s got the edge. But it’s close and Watson can make things happen with his legs. I can see why they named Savage as the starter. He gives them their best chance to win right now.”
The faster the better
Savage has made it a special point to speed up his delivery, upgrading his decision-making and recognition of defenses and becoming more confident.
It has been a major emphasis for Savage in his work with coach and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan.
“That’s the key, that’s his deal,” NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell said. “The ability to throw is not the issue. He needs to continue to get quicker with pretty much everything he does — drop back, set, decision-making, eliminating what’s there and isolate quicker. He’s a pure pocket player. He’s not going to make a lot of plays out of the structure by moving around.
“He’s a good thrower of the football, but sometimes he lacks the desired timing. Sometimes, he waits too long and gets sacked. It’s a really fine balance. We know he can throw the ball. He’s just got to get quicker.”
Heading into the Texans’ third preseason game Saturday night against the New Orleans Saints, Savage has only been sacked twice. He has completed 17 of 20 passes for 167 yards and one touchdown. Savage has yet to throw an interception this preseason. He has only thrown a couple of interceptions in practice.
When there’s nothing downfield, Savage will throw it away or use one of his safety valve options and dump it off short.
“I think I’m doing a good job,” Savage said. “Obviously, we just have to keep working at it. Just have to keep preparing and knowing the looks that you are going to see and knowing where you need to go and understanding where your checkdowns are.”
No doubting his arm
A strong-armed, 6-4, 228-pound former fourth-round draft pick from Pitt, Savage will line up Saturday for his final action of the preseason since starters don’t traditionally play in the final preseason game.
Savage will do so without the benefit of having Brown in the lineup due to a lengthy contract dispute or injured Pro Bowl alternate wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (hand), wide receiver Will Fuller (broken collarbone), wide receiver Braxton Miller (ankle) and tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz (quadriceps).
Savage has yet to throw an NFL touchdown pass. Last season, the Philadelphia native completed 63 percent of his throws for 461 yards and no interceptions in three games and two starts for an 80.9 passer rating.
Savage has a history of durability issues. He has been hurt every year since the Texans drafted him, but he’s healthy now.
During a nomadic college career that included stops at Rutgers and Arizona, Savage passed for 2,958 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions during his senior year at Pitt.
“He’s got a chance, I’ve always liked the way he throws it,” Cosell said. “I’m old-school. I like when a guy throws the ball with juice. I like guys who can drive the football and make throws into tight windows. I like guys who are aggressive throwers.
“I think he’s got that mentality. It’s an intuitive thing. Experience is a big thing for him. I know he’s a Philly kid and has got some toughness to him. That helps.”
Through two preseason games, Watson has completed 18 of 35 passes for 281 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
‘He’s been okay,” Cosell said. “I know the kid. He’s a great kid. I think his arm has looked more lively than it did at Clemson, especially in the first game at Carolina. The ball came out easily, and I was really pleased to see that. For the most part, he’s played how I would expect Deshaun Watson to play.”
The Texans have put Watson in situations where he can throw on the move and improvise. Watson has rushed for two touchdowns, gaining 34 yards on seven carries.”
“Bill is giving him snaps in empty sets, and he looks comfortable,” Cosell said. “He’s made some good throws and delivered the football. He ends up moving around a bit too much. The second game, he wasn’t quite as accurate. He wasn’t as sharp against the Patriots.
“He’s not a small kid, but he’s not a big-bodied kid. He’s got to be very careful moving around a lot in the NFL. He’s not going to get a lot bigger, but you can see he’s gotten bigger in the shoulders by lifting. They all get injured eventually if they run too much, because quarterbacks slow down, defenses don’t.”
Earning it a day at a time
O’Brien is looking for continued improvement from an offense that struggled mightily a year ago during the disastrous $72 million Brock Osweiler experiment. Now, the Texans are relaunching their offense with Savage as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract.
“We’ve had a lot of yardage, which is good, but, in the end, it’s about scoring points, and I thought we did a better job of that the last game than we did the first game,” O’Brien said. “In the end, you’re judged as a quarterback by two things — winning and getting your team in the end zone. That’s what we need to continue to improve on.”
O’Brien has complimented Savage throughout camp, noting his smart decisions and accuracy. For Savage to maintain his status, he has to remain healthy, protect the football and move the offense.
“Obviously whenever a head coach gives you a compliment like that, it’s awesome, but you take it for what it’s worth,” Savage said. “You have to go out there and you have to earn it every day and just keep working hard. That’s what I’m going to continue to do.”