NFL Off-Season: Top QB Competitions
Jun 17, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterbacks Case Keenum (7), Tom Savage (3), and T.J. Yates (13) stand together during mini camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Sports
Houston Texans
Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. Case Keenum vs. Tom Savage
What Has Been Said:
Head Coach Bill O’Brien
“I told our team that Ryan Fitzpatrick is our starter at quarterback. He’s a guy that’s earned the job and the other three guys are working hard and battling it out for number two. All four of them have put in a lot of good work. He earned it with his preparation, he earned it with his accuracy, he earned it with his command at the line of scrimmage. We have confidence in his ability to lead our football team. He’s done a really good job in the off-season of picking up our system. He’s executed it well on the field.”
Quarterbacks Coach George Godsey
“They’re competing every day. They’re very good and very detailed at trying to learn the information. They’ve really accepted the challenge. I think it’s a day-by-day process. I think for a rookie QB it’s difficult, just bottom. I’m going to coach him hard, coach O’Brien’s going to coach him hard, and the rest of the coaches are too. The thing that I like about Tom is that he looks you back in the eye and he wants to get more reps and he wants to learn. He’s a hungry young man. I think that’s the most important ingredient for a young quarterback. Our goal is to teach the unit the offense. We’re putting [Tom] in difficult situations and if he does make a mistake, we’ll slow it down on tape and give him the same situation the next day. Tom’s done a good job of trying to handle those things. [Ryan Fitzpatrick] loves football. The first thing that we look for in a quarterback is how much you want to go in there and put your time in. He’s got a lot of experience playing in different systems, he’s seen a lot of things and in this league, there’s going to be a lot of different looks you’re going to get. With Ryan he does a good job of controlling the offense.”
Tom Savage
“You get a few reps here and there and you got to make it count. Right now I’m just trying to learn the offense and do what I can to help out this team. For me being a rookie [the coaches] are not going to sit there and treat me like a rookie. They’re going to treat me like a veteran. It’s not going to do any good if a coach baby’s you. If they don’t get on you, then they don’t care about you. This team’s not going to slow down for rookies. They’ve got to perform and they’ve got to perform now. You got to take the reps when you can.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick
“It’s a fun time to be a Texan right now. Everyone’s excited for the upcoming season. They place a big emphasis on the details, they place a big emphasis on being a professional and taking this seriously. Coach O’Brien said to me “You’re going to have the ability to compete. And for me being now in my 10th year, that’s all I can ask for is a chance to compete and do whatever I can to make this team better. It’s been a really good experience for me in terms of getting to learn a lot of different guys. Personally for me this is kind of where I wanted to be. I wanted another shot at it. I wanted another chance to be the guy. The main part of this system is letting our playmakers make plays. I’ve kind of gotten the easy job.”
Case Keenum
“You don’t have to look around. You’re worrying about your business and trying to get better and trying to take what you learn in the meeting rooms and perform on the practice field. I’ve still got to get better. There’s a lot of things that can happen. As you know there is a lot of things that can happen during the year. It’s tough. I’ve got to show I can prove myself every day. I’ve still got an opportunity and that’s the way I see it every day. Every day is an opportunity to prove myself and prove my abilities as a quarterback. I’m my most harsh critic when it comes to my personal play and how I’ve done. I’ve still got a long way to go. We’re the Houston Texans and that’s who’s here right now. All that matters is right now and
this year.”
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Prediction:
Their 2013 starting QB Matt Schaub, was unable to lead the Texans, throwing 14 interceptions, 214.8 yards per game and a 73.0 passing rating in 2013 (worst passer rating for Schaub since his days as a backup in Atlanta. Schaub was eventually benched in place of Houston University alumni Case Keenum after throwing multiple pick sixes to opposing team’s secondaries. Keenum didn’t throw as many interceptions as Schaub did, however he wasn’t as productive as we would have liked, throwing for only a 54.2% completion, 220 yards per game and a 78.2 passer rating in 2013.
As one of the draft’s late risers, many are still undecided about where they stand in regards to draft pick Tom Savage. On the one hand he has a cannon for an arm which can connect on throws deep down the field with relative accuracy and speed. On the other hand though, Savage has a pure gun-slinger mentality at it’s finest. According to his game tape he will often force throws into tight lanes and even make some poor decisions in terms of coverage and such. At Rutgers University Savage was able to throw for 2,211 yards, 14 touchdowns, with a 128.5 passer rating. After being injured and replaced as starter during his sophomore season, Savage ended up transferring to multiple schools and ended up at the University of Pittsburgh. In his first and only season as a Pitt Panther, Savage was able to throw for a modest 2,958 yards and 21 touchdowns while completing 61.2% of his throws. He has shown that he definitely has some NFL-worthy attributes. For example, although Savage may not make the best decisions with his arm, he does in fact have a very powerful arm and body. He has the ability to stay in the pocket and take a beating (not that he will with new offensive guard Su’a-Filo blocking for him) and could potentially last the entire season. The only question really is about his football IQ and decision making capabilities. For a starting NFL QB, you’re going to need to make hundreds of decisions on the fly throughout the game. Even though Savage does have somewhat of a grasp on the game, his decision making lacks in some areas. If Savage can work on his timing with his receivers, use of his eyes and head to lead corners away from intended targets, and deliver strikes right to the open receivers, he can potentially be successful in the NFL. Was Savage a steal as the #135 pick? Perhaps. If he does work out in the NFL, kudos to the Texans for being able to make that risk towards another NFL QB.
As for the current starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, I believe he has the ability to turn around this ball club. Matt Schaub signed with Oakland, leaving the Texans with Keenum and T.J. Yates at the QB position. Fast forward a couple of months and Fitzpatrick is proclaimed the starter and the Texans now have four QBs to work with. While many may want to give the outright nod to Fitz, there are some fans who believe that with a little bit of work either Keenum or Savage can be the savior. Where I believe Fitz can be successful in Houston is with his experience. While at Buffalo and Tennessee, Fitz was able to throw for an average of 217.5 yards per game and threw 94 touchdown passes. However at the same time though, Fitzpatrick has had some troubles with ball security and accuracy. From the 2009 season, Fitzpatrick has thrown 76 interceptions as compared to 94 touchdown passes. His completion percentage has stayed above 60% for the past years, however with 23 interceptions and five fumbles in 2011, some may question Fitzpatrick’s QB ability. Knowing that, I think that Savage and Keenum do have some chance to win the starting job, but knowing what has already been decided this off-season, they don’t have much. I think that this season could be another tough season for the Texans’ passing game. Their only two receivers are veteran Andre Johnson and sophomore DeAndre Hopkins. Other than those two receivers they have TE Garret Graham, but that is about it. In 2014 I see Fitzpatrick being the outright starter. I don’t think Keenum has yet shown he has the ability to complete passes accurately, nor win games. I also do not think Tom Savage is yet ready for NFL action. Savage does have a great arm, however his game still needs to be refined a bit more.
Thus this 2014 off-season we do not see a competition for the starting job, but rather for the back-up job. The week one starter is guaranteed to be Ryan Fitzpatrick. When predicting who will be the week 17 starter, we have to look at the other parts of this offense. I think that in order to be successful, Fitzpatrick needs to be able to manage all parts of this offense. Arian Foster will be back after a injury that left him on the sidelines for the majority of 2013. In 2014, Fitz keeps his job if he shows that he can combine the best the Texans have to offer in the running game with the best the Texans have to offer in the passing game. If he controls the amount of turnovers and completes over 60% of his passes, 2014 is Fitzpatrick’s season.