TEXANS LOSE AGAIN

Rams are latest team to prove Savage does not have the skills to be an NFL quarterback

Rams are latest team to prove Savage does not have the skills to be an NFL quarterback
Tom Savage was bad against the Colts. He was at his turnover-generating worse against the Rams. Tim Warren/Getty Images

Tom Savage is not good at sports

He gave the Rams defense 10 points on two awful sack/fumbles. He was lucky he did not give them more on a pick 6 that was called back on a questionable defensive holding call.

He has led his team to one offensive TD in each of the last two games.

Sunday he gave up at least 16 points and generated just 7. What does all that mean?

Savage is not an NFL quarterback. It is questionable he is even a backup in the league. All of that was on display in Sunday’s loss to the LA Rams, a game that was there for the taking, but turned into a 33-7 LA rout.

There were several other issues -- blown coverages and big plays given up by an awful defense again, shaky special teams and a bad offensive line -- but Savage was the main culprit.

Savage was just 18 of 37 for 221 yards, one touchdown, two picks and two fumbles. This follows his less than stellar 19 of 44 effort against the Colts. His two starts have been absolutely Osweilerian.

He threw a bad interception in the red zone, one of those “what was he thinking?” passes. What should have been -- at worst -- a 10-6 lead at halftime became a 9-7 deficit.

He failed to connect on easy passes. His body language screamed that it was all in his head. His pocket presence does not exist, other than he is present in the pocket. He simply does not deserve to be starting.

The Texans defense did its best to keep the team in the game in hopes Savage would come around. He never did. The defense spent too much time on the field and could not hold the Rams down forever. After Savage’s second sack/fumble, they gave up a quick TD and the rout was on.

At 3-6, the Texans season is doomed. It effectively ended when Deshaun Watson went down in practice. But if Savage were even remotely competent, the Texans could be sitting at 5-4 with a chance to win the putrid AFC South. However, Savage’s inability to move the team consistently and penchant for giving points to the opponent took away any hope the Texans had.

It is not on Bill O’Brien. The play calls were there. Savage could not convert. The real problem is not signing a solid backup in the offseason and instead believing in Savage, who has never looked like an NFL quarterback in his prior opportunities.

Do the Texans have a better option? Probably not. And at this point, does it really matter? T.J. Yates is not going to give them a six-game winning streak. The only quarterback that could do that is limping around on the sidelines. And losing does not help the Texans; they have traded away their top two picks next season. In essence, 2017 is lost.

But at least you get to savor the Tom Savage experience. It’s fun if you enjoy watching people who are not good at their jobs.

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The Astros beat the Phillies, 2-1. Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images.

Cam Smith hit an RBI single in the eighth inning to give the Houston Astros a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.

The rookie's second hit of the game came off Orion Kerkering (5-3) and gave the Astros their fourth straight win.

Brandon Marsh tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the top of the inning to end the Phillies' 26-inning scoreless streak.

The Astros took a 1-0 lead on Yainer Diaz’s RBI single in the second inning. They only managed three more hits off Phillies starter Christopher Sanchez, who struck out 11 with zero walks over six innings. Sanchez has not issued a walk in three straight starts.

Hunter Brown lowered his league best ERA to 1.74 by scattering three singles over seven shutout innings, with nine strikeouts. He did not allow a runner to reach second base.

Bryan Abreu (3-3) struck out Trea Turner to end the eighth, and then struck out Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos in the ninth.

Abreu joined Julia Morales after the game and talked about his impressive performance!

Rafael Marchán had two of the Phillies' four hits. Bryson Stott reached base twice and scored the Phillies' lone run.

Key moment

Smith’s RBI.

Key stat

Brown’s 1.74 ERA is the fourth best in Astros history through 16 starts and the best since Justin Verlander posted a 1.60 ERA through 16 starts in 2018.

Up next

The Astros open a three-game series against the Cubs on Friday with LHP Brandon Walter (0-1 3.80 ERA) on the mound.

The Phillies open a three-game series at the Braves on Friday with RHP Mick Abel (2-1 3.47 ERA) against Atlanta RHP Bryce Elder (2-4 4.77).

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