Texans head coach Bill O'Brien said he expects Savage to start Week 10 against the Rams, Deepi Sidhu of the Texans' official site reports. "We've got to get Tom playing better. We all have to do better," O'Brien said Monday.
After star rookie Deshaun Watson (knee) suffered a season-ending injury in practice Nov. 2, Savage stepped back in as the starting quarterback for the first time since Week 1 in Sunday's 20-14 loss to the Colts, and the results weren't encouraging. Savage completed just 19 of 44 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown while losing one of two fumbles, with his wayward accuracy almost leading to a pair of interceptions during the contest. The fourth-year signal caller was able to right the ship to some degree in the fourth quarter and nearly engineered a potential game-winning drive, but he took a sack as time ran out to end the Texans' comeback bid. Despite Savage's poor overall numbers, O'Brien evidently saw enough to justify sticking with him over the other options on the roster, T.J. Yates and Matt McGloin. Savage will likely have a shorter leash in Week 10, however, so if he's unable to move the offense effectively early on in the contest, Yates could be called upon in relief.