Plotlines don’t get much spicier
Osweiler’s return to NRG forces the past to collide with present
It was an awkward, dysfunctional relationship between the Texans and quarterback Brock Osweiler that ultimately led to a bitter divorce.
Now, the failed $72 million Osweiler experiment — lowlighted by a high-profile benching, arguments with coach Bill O’Brien, plenty of interceptions and enough failure that Osweiler became an easy punchline — has led to this unexpected reunion.
Unloaded by the Texans in an unconventional salary dump to Cleveland in March 2017, Osweiler is riding high with his third NFL employer since being traded away along with a second-round draft pick thrown in to induce the Browns to take on his $16 million salary.
It’s high drama as Osweiler returns to Houston as the Miami Dolphins’ starter for a nationally televised Thursday night game at NRG Stadium.
This marks Osweiler's first time back since being dismissed by the Texans months after he clashed with O’Brien during halftime of a regular-season finale loss to the
Titans when Tom Savage suffered a concussion and Osweiler initially refused to play and got into a loud confrontation with the fiery coach.
Osweiler is playing well for the Dolphins under an $880,000 salary, much more reminiscent of his 5-2 run with the Denver Broncos as a stand-in for Peyton Manning than how he played for O’Brien.
Nice numbers
In three games, including two starts as the replacement for the injured Ryan Tannehill, Osweiler has completed 67.4 percent of his throws for 654 yards, with six touchdowns and two interceptions for a 107.0 passer rating.
He’s more decisive, accurate and moving better in the pocket and looks more comfortable than he did during his time with the Texans, which included an 8-6 record as a starter, 15 touchdowns and 16 interceptions and a playoff win over the Oakland Raiders and backup Connor Cook before reverting back to erratic play in an AFC divisional round playoff loss to the New England Patriots.
Osweiler and O’Brien took the high road leading up to the game, giving politically correct answers when asked about their lone season together.
“There’s no hard feelings,” Osweiler told Miami reporters. “There’s no ill will. It was short, it was one season. Other than that, I’m very proud of a lot of things that we accomplished. At the end of the day, in that one season, we won our division, we won a playoff game and that’s what I remember.”
Osweiler acknowledged that he hasn’t spoken with O’Brien since being traded to the Browns.
“I’m not really worried about that,” Osweiler said. “At the end of the day, I have great respect for him and that organization, everything involved there. There were business decisions that had to be made. They were made and we all moved on.”
Said O’Brien: “Coaching Brock was good. He was a very smart guy, worked very hard, very competitive guy and you can see that with how he’s playing right now.”
The Texans gave Osweiler a contract that included $37 million guaranteed. He made $21 million during his lone season in Houston.
“At the end of the day, you want to live up to the hopes that the organization has for you, if that makes sense,” Osweiler said. “You’re obviously given that contract expecting that you can come in and help take that franchise to maybe a place that they haven’t been before. I wouldn’t call that pressure because, as players, that’s the situation we want to be in.
“You want to be in a situation where you’re playing for a great team and you have an opportunity to win championships. At least with my case with Houston, there was no added pressure. But certainly as a competitor, as a person, as someone who cares about the people that he’s around and the people that he works with, you want to do great by that organization.”
Osweiler mustered only a 72.2 passer rating for the Texans during the 2016 season. He misfired on the simplest of throws to wideopen receivers, including one memorable bouncepass stinker that skidded across the ground to tight end Ryan Griffin during a loss to Minnesota.
“He came in to get the job done here,” veteran cornerback Johnathan Joseph said. “For whatever reason, it didn’t work out. He’s not the only player that’s happened to in this league, so no discredit to Brock. I think he’s done a good job. Any time you’re a quarterback in this league, you always earn respect.
“Different scheme, different things. We’ll get to watch film and kind of see where he is as a player, but it’s nothing like the Texans versus Brock. It’s the Miami Dolphins versus the Houston Texans and you definitely can’t get caught up in that.”
Texans outside linebacker Brennan Scarlett noted how much Osweiler studied and devoted himself to trying to be prepared.
“He takes a meticulous approach to the game,” Scarlett said. “He knows the game of football. We know we can’t overlook him at all. He cares a lot about trying to win. That’s what we’re going to expect out of him.”
With the Dolphins, Osweiler looks like a transformed passer. He’s not playing timidly. He’s in tune with coach Adam Gase, his offensive coordinator when he played for the Broncos.
“I think he’s playing great,” O’Brien said. “I think he’s got great command of their offense. Very, very bright guy. Really understands Adam’s systems. He does a great job with Adam in game-planning. He’s got a lot of weapons around him. He’s using all of them. They’ve got a really explosive team.
“This is a huge challenge for us on a really short week. It’s going to be a very, very difficult game for us. Brock’s playing at a high level.”
As bad of an experience as Osweiler had with the Texans, he’s looking forward to this opportunity to prove that he’s a changed quarterback.
Tough circumstances
He’ll have to do so without injured wide receivers Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills and against an improving defense that has created six turnovers in the past two games.
“I think you guys know me well enough at this point now (to know) that I don’t look in the past,” Osweiler said. “I’m always looking forward to the future and the things that I can control, and that’s really what I did in that moment.”