Brock Osweiler has been a $72 million disaster for the Texans

[oaklandhater]

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/b...-texans-100916


Should Houston be having buyer's remorse after five weeks?


Bob Levey/Getty Images

By Cameron DaSilva
Oct 9, 2016 at 5:11p ET
The Houston Texans took a leap of faith this offseason by signing Brock Osweiler to a four-year, $72 million contract. They did so without meeting the 25-year-old former Bronco face-to-face, showing a desperate desire to fill a void at quarterback that’s been there for most of the franchise’s existence.

Sure, Matt Schaub was decent, but he brought little excitement to an up-and-coming team. David Carr before him obviously wasn’t the answer, and Osweiler may not be either.

Not given the way he’s played this season.

Osweiler, a big-armed quarterback who stands 6-foot-8, plays like anything but that. He operates as if he can’t complete a pass more than 20 yards downfield. With guys like DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller – two talented deep threats – at his disposal, it’s hard to explain why Osweiler opts for checkdown after checkdown.

He showed a serious lack of confidence in himself against the Patriots two weeks ago, and he did the same against the Vikings on Sunday. Osweiler completed 19 of 42 passes for 184 yards, one touchdown and an interception in the Texans’ embarrassing 31-13 loss. And if you didn’t think those numbers were bad, consider that most of his production came in garbage time with the Texans completely out of the game.


His lone touchdown throw was with 4:29 left and the Vikings playing a soft prevent defense. Even with that score, Osweiler still finished with a passer rating of 56.1 – the worst of his already disastrous 2016 season. It’s the third time he’s had a game with a passer rating below 70, which is more than the number of times he’s had a rating above 70.

By comparison, with the Broncos in 2015, he didn’t have a single game with a passer rating below that mark, posting two above 100. He’s had zero such games in 2016.

There’s no question Osweiler looks like a completely different quarterback in Houston, and though he was never an overly aggressive QB in Denver, his regression has been alarming. His struggles culminated in Sunday’s game, when he averaged a mere 4.4 yards per attempt.


This season, only four quarterbacks have thrown 40 passes in a game and averaged less than 5.0 yards per attempt. Osweiler is one of them, and he’s the lone quarterback to do it twice.

Now, it’s still early in the Osweiler experiment, but the Texans have to be concerned about his lack of development and the fact that he and Hopkins can’t get on the same page – even after five weeks. Hopkins thrived with Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett and T.J. Yates at quarterback last season, proving he can get it done with journeymen throwing him passes. Journeymen who weren't sucking up a significant portion of the team's salary cap.

Osweiler is angling toward becoming Ryan Tannehill: a player who’s treated and paid like a franchise quarterback, but plays like anything but. Osweiler has tanked in his first two road starts for the Texans, and he’s far from the reason they’ve won three games. Conversely, he’s the main reason they’ve lost two out of five.


Unless he and his 6.0 yards per attempt improve, the Texans aren’t going anywhere. He’s among the worst in the league in that department, as well as passer rating. He’s thrown six touchdown passes and seven interceptions in five games despite having one of the best supporting casts in football.

The Texans set him up to succeed with the additions of running back Lamar Miller and receivers Will Fuller and Braxton Miller, and all he’s done is fail – and fail horribly.

To be fair, the Vikings have the best defense in the league and have shut down even the best quarterbacks. But there’s no excuse for Osweiler to rack up 184 yards on 42 attempts. At this point, the Texans look like they’ve downgraded at quarterback, particularly after seeing how Hoyer is playing in Chicago.


Hoyer is making $2 million with the Bears compared to Osweiler’s $18 million. In four games (three starts), Hoyer has thrown for 1,094 yards and six touchdowns and has yet to throw an interception. His passer rating is well above 100 on the season, a mark Osweiler has yet to eclipse in a single game this year.

The Texans obviously won't give up on Osweiler yet, as they're committed to him for at least two seasons, but there's no doubt he's been the exact opposite of what they paid for.

[ptlyon]

Houston just got Tyler Thigpen'd.

[ChiefAshhole1056]

He's bad... His footwork is everywhere, his delivery starts by his waist and is slow, and he has started to see phantom pressure. His deep ball is above average and with his outside guys that all he needs, but Brock needs to find a way to regain his confidence because currently it looks shot.

[Deberg_1990]

He really wasn't all that impressive last year. He got replaced after 5-6 games by an 80 year old broke dick because they couldn't move the ball. Elway knows what's up.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

He really wasn't all that impressive last year. He got replaced after 5-6 games by an 80 year old broke dick because they couldn't move the ball. Elway knows what's up.

Except Denver was blindsided when he signed with Houston.

[Chief Northman]

Originally Posted by ChiefAshhole1056

He's bad... His footwork is everywhere, his delivery starts by his waist and is slow, and he has started to see phantom pressure. His deep ball is above average and with his outside guys that all he needs, but Brock needs to find a way to regain his confidence because currently it looks shot.

And yet we lost to that overrated team...

So disappointing.

[Discuss Thrower]

Also, it's pretty stupid for CP to crack on Osweiler's faults considering we're still hoping our 32 year old QB takes a yuge step forward in his 12th season of professional play.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Also, it's pretty stupid for CP to crack on Osweiler's faults considering we're still hoping our 32 year old QB takes a yuge step forward in his 12th season of professional play.

This isn't true actually.

He doesn't need to take a big step forward he just needs to play like he has in stretches of his career.

The problem is he is too inconsistent.

I have given up hope on that at this point.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Also, it's pretty stupid for CP to crack on Osweiler's faults considering we're still hoping our 32 year old QB takes a yuge step forward in his 12th season of professional play.

Let me be clear. I'm not cracking on him so much as the contract. Big difference.

No way to claim he's a bust after 5 weeks into the season. Also, no way to claim his play in Denver merited that deal.

So, ya, I laugh at Houston. They may have the last laugh down the road?

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

Let me be clear. I'm not cracking on him so much as the contract. Big difference.

No way to claim he's a bust after 5 weeks into the season. Also, no way to claim his play in Denver merited that deal.

So, ya, I laugh at Houston. They may have the last laugh down the road?

On the one hand, it was a ridiculous contract for the Texans to hand out.

On the other... "That's the market..."

[Meatloaf]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

This isn't true actually.

He doesn't need to take a big step forward he just needs to play like he has in stretches of his career.

The problem is he is too inconsistent.

I have given up hope on that at this point.

Not sure I'd log it under "inconsistent", Marcellus as I think he simply has some limitations, and when those are exploited, he pretty much comes apart. Maybe that's how you see it too and just called that inconsistent. Give me career stats from Alex the rest of the way this year, and we'll have a good year. So far, he's nowhere near his norm.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

This isn't true actually.

He doesn't need to take a big step forward he just needs to play like he has in stretches of his career.

The problem is he is too inconsistent.

I have given up hope on that at this point.

Except that the reason for the inconsistency is a consistent mentality to play conservative until his back is against the wall. That will unfortunately never change. It keeps us close in most of our games. But it isn't a consistent formula unless you have a Montana like clutch qb, which Alex is not.

But I do agree that Alex can do it. Mentally, he won't.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

On the one hand, it was a ridiculous contract for the Texans to hand out.

On the other... "That's the market..."

? They set the market, and Denver passed and no one else was bidding. Hard to say that they didn't overpay.

[RunKC]

Amazing that nobody puts this on O'Brien. He's a completely overrated Patriot tree reerun that can't help his players.

[Hoopsdoc]

Luckily for Brock, he gets the Colts horrendous defense at home on Sunday night. Look for his numbers balloon.

Heck, if I owned him in FF, I'd start him.

[ThaVirus]

Never thought he was good but he could develop into a decent starter.

My guess is he won't.