The Houston Texans now have the highest paid backup quarterback in the NFL after Bill O’Brien benched Brock Osweiler and turned the club over to Tom Savage. The coach made the only move he could when announcing Savage as the starter for the Week 16 contest with the Cincinnati Bengals, leaving Osweiler’s status in limbo. I’m sure Marvin Lewis would love to have that situation with a playoff berth hanging in the balance. The Bengals had their run of six straight postseason appearances come to an end with last week’s loss.
This contest in Week 16 of the regular season will go down Saturday, December 24, 2016, at 8:25 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cincinnati Bengals +2
Houston Texans -2
Over/Under 41
Odds Analysis
The Texans opened as a 3-point favorite and the line was wagered down a point after the announcement of Savage as the team’s starter. Savage sparked Houston when inserted last week and now it’s his show as Osweiler gets to ride the pine. A majority of the spread bets have been placed on the visitors and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more movement before kickoff.
Injury Report
Whitney Mercilus – Houston’s defense has played well all season due in large part to the contributions of Mercilus. But the standout linebacker is in danger of missing another game with a back injury. The group could also be without John Simon, leaving the Texans thin at the second level. Jadeveon Clowney could move to the outside, giving the Texans an edge rusher to disrupt Andy Dalton on passing downs.
Lamar Miller – The Texans’ running back left the last game late with an ankle injury and was in obvious pain on the sideline. Miller said on Monday that he expects to play against the Bengals, but how effective he will be is the question. The Texans sure could use Miller as they unravel a game plan for new starter Savage.
Player to Watch
It was a move that needed to be made before the Texans fell completely out of the playoff race. Thanks to being in the weakest division, Osweiler was able to hold onto the starting gig despite his shoddy play. If he had performed slightly better, made wiser decisions with the football and cut down on his interceptions, the Texans probably would have run away with the AFC South and we wouldn’t have the drama of the division crown being decided in the final two weeks of the season. The position has been somewhat of a black cloud with Savage being the sixth player to start a game in the past two seasons.
Because of that, the organization shelled out big bucks to lure Osweiler from the Broncos. The move may turn out to be the biggest free agent flop in NFL history, but the Texans still control their own destiny. Now it’s up to Savage to deliver. He took over against the Jags after Osweiler tossed a pair of interception and the Texans down 13-0. He led the team to a come from behind 21-20 victory by completing 23 of 36 attempts for 236 yards. Prior to that action, Savage had not played in a regular season game in two years, though he been with the Texans since being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft.
Free ATS Pick
The Texans rallied around Savage last week and will have to do it again in order to stay in the playoff hunt. Listening to O’Brien during his postgame presser, it was obvious the coach was fed up with Osweiler’s continued poor play and said Savage gives the team the best chance to win. Having to rely on a backup who hasn’t played in a regular season game in two years prior to his relief stint Sunday doesn’t bode well for Houston. However, it was also evident Osweiler couldn’t get the job done despite having the entire season to acclimate to his new role.
One thing the Texans need is for their quarterback to not screw things up. The defense, even with some injuries, remains one of the toughest in the NFL and will do more damage as long as the offense doesn’t throw a wrench in the plans. Unfortunately, Osweiler did just that. As long as Savage protects the football and takes advantage of opportunities when presented, the Texans should be okay. Cincy’s in an unfamiliar spot with the playoffs out of the picture for the first time in six seasons and there isn’t much to play for. Look for the Texans to ride the home field to a key victory.
NFL Odds: Texans 23, Bengals 20
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