Texans coach Bill O'Brien announced Monday that Savage will start at quarterback Saturday against the Bengals.
Savage claims Houston's starting job after leading a comeback victory and completing 23 of 36 passes for 260 yards Sunday against the Jaguars. With three years of experience in coach O'Brien's system, and given Brock Osweiler's consistent struggles, Savage will get a chance to lead the Texans' offense in search of a playoff berth. Although this Saturday will mark his first career start, and just his fourth appearance since entering the league in 2014, Savage showed a good rapport while helping top wideout DeAndre Hopkins finish with eight receptions (on 17 targets) for 87 yards Sunday, which could provide him a reliable outlet against Cincinnati's 23rd-ranked defense.