Bell Tolls: Tom Savage has the chance to save the Texans' season. But can he?
Paste BN Sports' Jarrett Bell breaks down all the key elements for Week 9 in the NFL, from Tom Savage to Russell Wilson and more.
Pressure’s on
Tom Savage. Back in the lineup after Deshaun Watson’s sensational rookie season was derailed by a torn ACL, the Texans quarterback isn’t equipped to run Bill O’Brien’s offense as Watson would. But with Indianapolis visiting and Houston merely a game out of first place, throwing for his first NFL touchdown and avoiding big gaffes would represent significant progress. No, the season for the Texans is not over yet. But Savage must be better than the sack machine he was before getting benched in the opener. Or else.
Who’s hot
Russell Wilson. Including the desperate, 452-yard, 4-TD showing to outlast Deshaun Watson, the Seahawks quarterback has thrown for 786 yards and 7 TDs the past two weeks to keep alive a winning streak that has hit four games with Washington visiting on Sunday. Wilson passed for fewer than 200 yards in three of his first five games this season, but now averages 286.9 yards, on pace for the highest of his career. Seattle needs it, given its sputtering running game. And Wilson must stay healthy. Obviously. The mobility Wilson didn’t have during last year’s injury-stung season has returned, allowing for great escapes to avoid spotty protection, buy throwing time and add juice to the running game, too. All told, Wilson has emerged as an under-the-radar MVP candidate.
Key matchup
Ezekiel Elliott vs. Chiefs run defense. This space was previously pegged for the Dez Bryant-Marcus Peters matchup of fiery competitors. But Elliott’s suspension is on hold again, which is big trouble for a unit that allowed Denver to run 177 yards on Monday night and for Le’Veon Bell to shred it for 179 in Week 6. Elliott is coming off a 33-carry, 150-yard game at Dallas and has found rhythm with three consecutive 100-yard games. Kansas City’s 29th-ranked run defense is allowing an NFL-high 4.9 per rush, which means the formula is no secret: run Elliott, control the clock and keep Alex Smith the Chiefs’ explosive offense off the field.
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Next man up
Brock Osweiler. Of all the backup quarterbacks in the lineup, the Broncos’ switch to Osweiler wasn’t due to an injury. That was last time, when he filled in for Peyton Manning to keep then afloat during what turned out to be a Super Bowl championship season. This time, facing the task of beating the red-hot Eagles in Philadelphia, the same formula exists as Osweiler takes the reins from Trevor Simeon: Rely on the No. 1 defense and protect the football. Simeon lost his job on the vibe of 10 INTs, second-most in the NFL. But talk about full-circle. Osweiler, 18th months later, is back where he might have stayed in the first place, before stops in Houston and Cleveland, plus one huge contract, allowed John Elway to get him off the scrap heap.
Rookie watch
Marshon Lattimore. After a few misses on high-round picks in recent years, the Saints have a hit with the cornerback, drafted 11th overall, who brought his knack for big plays with him from Ohio State. That’s one reason New Orleans’ resurgence includes an upgraded defense – finally – after wallowing among the worst in the league for several years. The Saints are 17th against the pass? That’s huge when considering that it wasn’t too long ago when New Orleans allowed more yards and TDs than any unit in NFL history. Lattimore, the first Saints player since Reggie Bush to win Rookie of the Month honors, will get a stiff test in trying to contain Mike Evans when the Bucs come calling on Sunday.
Stomach for an upset
Lions at Packers. After a rough starting debut for Brett Hundley in losing to the Saints, let’s see what Mike McCarthy can do with a bye week to prepare the young fill-in for Aaron Rodgers. Oddsmakers are cynical, making Green Bay a home underdog. Yet the Packers have a running game and the Lions do not.
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If the playoffs were today…
Carolina (5-3) would be in as the sixth and final seed in the NFC. But it’s shaky. On the flip side of a sound, second-ranked defense, they’ve got Cam Newton, who has thrown for more interceptions (11) than TDs (10), and now must proceed without Kelvin Benjamin. Okay, the last time Newton didn’t have Benjamin’s big-receiver presence, he won NFL MVP honors and went to the Super Bowl. Now there will by no MVP, but a chance to solidify positioning during division games. The Falcons visit on Sunday, which means trying to avoid getting showcased again by Julio Jones. In bigger picture, this game could ultimately have huge ramifications to determine which team will get a ticket to the postseason dance.
Did you notice?
Road teams are 5-4 this season on Thursday night, which douses water on the theory that home teams have an overwhelming advantage on a short week. Sure, they have a bit of an edge – and we’ve seen back-to-back blowout victories from the Jets and Ravens in that situation – but both teams are pressed to recover inside a tight window. So, in the wake of Richie Incognito’s grumbling, the gripes can go both ways.
Stat’s the fact
Deshaun Watson, named AFC Rookie of the Month, set an NFL record for TDs passes in a calendar month with 16 in October. It shattered the previous mark, 11, by Dan Marino in October 1983.
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