Savage poised for a repeat performance
Beating Jaguars last season gave QB big boost
The calm body language, steady poise and bold arm talent that Tom Savage displayed last December during a comeback victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars are among the major reasons why he will be the Texans’ starting quarterback Sunday.
Savage jump-started the Texans’ dormant offense as he replaced a bumbling Brock Osweiler and engineered a 21-20 victory after entering the game facing a 13-0 deficit.
Playing for the first time in a regular-season game since his rookie season, Savage began firing spirals to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and led the Texans on five scoring drives. He didn’t commit a single turnover, completing 23 of 36 passes for 260 yards with no touchdowns.
‘It helped a lot’
That game provided a confidence boost for Savage, a strong-armed former fourth-round draft pick from Pitt who’s now starting ahead of rookie firstround draft pick Deshaun Watson.
“I mean, it helped a lot,” Savage said. “Obviously just going out there and kind of just reacting out there. Obviously, you don’t get as many reps during the week but you’re kind of reacting, you’re communicating with DeAndre. I was happy to get him the ball a few times. It just helps. Any experience helps.”
It was the kind of steady football the Texans hope to see from Savage against the Jaguars at NRG Stadium in their season opener.
Savage maintained that kind of standard during the preseason, completing 27 of 36 passes for 246 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for a 102.3 passer rating.
The way Savage played against the Jaguars could serve as something of a blueprint for how the Texans want him to operate this season.
“Good poise,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “It’snot an easy situation, when he came into that game. Obviously, we weren’t playing great at that time. So, he came in and I thought he showed good poise. Good command of what we’re doing relative to the play call. Just the operation of the play. I felt like in that game he showed that, that he had good command of all the things that we do.”
In that game, Savage showed chemistry with Hopkins, completing eight passes to him for 87 yards and connecting with tight end Ryan Griffin for eight catches and 85 yards.
Although Savage protected the football, he didn’t hesitate to challenge the Jaguars downfield. He threw the football into tight spaces. He threw where only his receivers could have a chance at snaring the football.
“He throws a great ball, he’s got a smooth release,” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said. “I think he has a good command of the offense. I think he’s a guy that can have a high completion percentage. He can complete a lot of footballs, he can beat you short, dump it off.
“He can beat you with the long ball. Saw him last year come in and beat our football team last year. So, I have a ton of respect for him and what he can do.”
On Sunday, Savage will face a challenge against a talented cornerback tandem comprised of former Texans starter A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey.
“They’re both really talented guys,” Savage said. “I know we’ve got our work cut out and we’re going to do what we need to do to find a way to get these guys the ball in space.”
Although Savage made fun of himself for his low-key personality during interviews, he’s very engaged on the field. He also is good at interacting with his teammates behind the scenes in the locker room and away from the Texans’ training facility, building a friendship with Hopkins and other teammates.
“I think it’s his demeanor, his personality and the way he handles himself,” Texans quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan said. “I think he’s just a welcoming type of guy. He’s willing to help people, to give them information to kind of understand what the challenges of their job are and able to, in some ways, tell them what his job entails. I think between those two things, guys feel comfortable talking to him.”
Playbook not a problem
A Philadelphia native, Savage is steely enough to take hard-nosed, bluntly honest coaching from O’Brien. He’s extremely well-versed in the playbook as he’s been studying it for nearly four years.
“He has a very good knowledge of what we do,” O’Brien said. “He comprehends everything that we’re talking about. We’re talking the same language and he understands it very well. From a defensive perspective, what we’re looking at and then obviously from our own perspective. He understands it very well.”
Now, Savage enters the season as the guy, as QB1 for the first time since his college days.
“I’m real confident,” Savage said. “I’m super excited to get out there on Sunday and can’t wait to get going.”