This was Brock Osweiler's first chance to show how much of the rather complicated offense desgined by head coach Bill O'Brien. Even though this is only an preseason game, any amount of game time helps, and from what he has shown so far, it is not looking good.
He couldn't lead the Houston Texans to any points in the three drives he played, going 4-7 for 27 yards and getting sacked once. Again, this definitely shouldn't cause any panic, but it wasn't the strongest or most positive of showings.
Tom Savage Impresses
Other than one incomplete pass thrown by Brandon Weeden, Tom Savage had the rest of the snaps besides Osweiler. He went 14-24 for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns, some pretty good numbers for a player that has been near the lower end on the depth chart for the majority of his career.
The offense didn't start driving until Savage came on the field, as he was able to contribute 17 points in the second half. The other seven came from a fumble recovery for a touchdown by John Simon caused by Rice University alum Christian Convington, a 6th round pick that has been impressing and proved his worth due to J.J. Watt being sidelined by an injury.
If he continues this play, Savage will secure his backup spot for good and might even give Osweiler a run for his money for the starting position. The Texans are planning to contend and need a quarterback that knows the ins and outs of the system. Savage has had two full seasons and may prove a reliable option while Osweiler gets the hang of it.
Gabbert Ends Strong
Because of Colin Kaepernick's injury, the San Francisco 49ers opted to divide playing time equally between Blaine Gabbert, Thad Lewis, and Jeff Driskel. If you look at the stats, they're pretty average, but it was Gabbert that was most impressive. He started off poorly, but ended his night with a 43 yard touchdown to Vance McDonald.
With everyone being unsure whether Chip Kelly will start Kaepernick, Gabbert might be making a case for himself to take that spot. However, this was not only not a good enough performance for him to thrust into the spot, but it was also in the first preseason game. He will have to play even better for there to be any true discussion.
Other Notable Players
Rookie Braxton Miller showed some of the talent that the Texans were hoping to get out of him, getting 4 catches for 34 yards. They are definitely not spectacular numbers, but in a preseason game where wide receivers are being constatnly switched in and out, they're honestly pretty good. Definitely better than fellow rookie and first round pick Will Fuller, who had just one for four yards.
Unlike Osweiler, free agent signee Lamar Miller had a great game, going in for just four runs but compiling 30 yards. Jaelan Strong also played well, in fact slightly better with Miller, as he got four catches for 42 yards. Tyler Ervin, the team's possible kick and punt returner, had a fair catch and a kick return of 28 yards.
If you would like to read about Osweiler studying the Texans' offense (didn't really show tonight, just kidding) or how the team plans to use Miller, click here and here, respectively.