Houston Texans

Houston's Tom Savage more confident heading into Year 2

Published Jun. 1, 2015 1:14 p.m. ET

foxsports

When Houston Texans quarterback Tom Savage was pressed into action last season, he looked every bit the inexperienced rookie he was.

It was Week 15, on the road against Indianapolis. Starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had gone down with a broken leg in the second quarter, and Savage, a rookie fourth-round pick from the University of Pittsburgh, was tasked with leading the Texans to victory.

It didn't happen. As ESPN's Tania Ganguli notes, Savage posted at total QBR of just 13. He ended up throwing for 127 yards on the afternoon, before being lost for the season himself with a hyperextended knee. It wasn't the first impression Savage wanted to make, although he found the experience of valuable.

"I’ve watched that game probably over 50 times," Savage said, via Ganguli. "It still kind of haunts me a little bit. Not saying I’m happy I went through it that way -- I would’ve loved to get the win -- but it was good to get out there and see what it’s like."

Since the season ended, Savage said he's immersed himself in film study, trying to make strides as he enters his second season. The quarterback, who gets to the facility every morning at 5:15 a.m., told Ganguli he's working on improving his footwork, recognizing open receivers better and speeding up his release.

"This offense, there's always someone open," Savage said. "It's our job to find them."

The 25-year old, who will back up Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett this season, says he can already see a difference in his play over his rookie campaign.

"I think it's been a really, really big jump for me," Savage said. "From a confidence standpoint, I’m a lot more confident. I think I’m more vocal in the huddle, louder. The guys on our team helped me out. They helped me build up my confidence. ... I’ve got a lot to improve on, but for now that’s in the right direction."

(h/t ESPN)

Photo credit:Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports