Even After QB Change, the Texans Still Can't Be Taken Seriously

The Houston Texans received an early Christmas gift on Saturday. Thanks to a listless performance from the Indianapolis Colts and a brutal injury that befell Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, a murky playoff picture in the AFC South cleared considerably.

All the Texans had to do was beat the floundering Cincinnati Bengals and the division title was theirs.

Houston cashed in, winning the game 12-10. But amid the smiles and confetti, something is most assuredly rotten in Houston. This win was the Chia Pet of Christmas gifts—an unimpressive effort that did absolutely nothing to change the perception that the Texans' playoff run will be short-lived.

The big reason isn't hard to see. Houston might have a new quarterback in Tom Savage, but the team has the same old problems.

Heading into Saturday's game, veteran offensive tackle Duane Brown told Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com he was impressed with how Savage had carried himself the week before his first career NFL start:

"

His demeanor hasn't changed. He's a very even-keeled guy, very calm and poised guy, as you can see when he entered the game last week. He's doing a good job of recognizing everything and all of us communicating and getting on the same page with each other.

"

Then the game started. No one in the Houston offense appeared on the same page during a first half in which the team didn't break 50 yards of total offense. Savage completed two of his seven attempts over the first 30 minutes, and the Texans had all of negative-five passing yards.

It was the sort of half that makes one wax nostalgic about the Brock Osweiler era. Or the days of Brian Hoyer. Maybe some Brandon Weeden.

Things improved in the second half, and by game's end, Savage had a stat line that at least resembled that of an NFL quarterback. For the game, Savage completed 18 of 29 passes for 176 yards, posting a passer rating of 79.1.

The problem is those aren't the stats of a great NFL quarterback. Or even a good one. And Savage admitted to the NFL Network after the game that while it felt good to win, the guys on offense didn't come close to holding up their end.

"The defense did a great job out there," Savage said. "They really held us in this game. Offensively we need to put some points on the board and make it easier on them."

The Texans' top-ranked defense, as they have for most of the season, carried the team against the Bengals. Against a five-win Cincinnati team, Houston's lack of any offensive continuity or momentum made it difficult to win.

In the playoffs, it's going to make it impossible.

OK—nearly impossible. Saturday's win improved the Texans to 7-1 this year at NRG Stadium, a mark that includes wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions. Were these Texans to draw the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Wild Card Round after the Silver and Black lost quarterback Derek Carr to a broken fibula on Saturday, it's possible their superior defense could propel them to a win in a battle of the backups. Maybe.

Against the Chiefs in a rematch, however, you shouldn't like their chances. And as soon as the Texans hit the road, they flat out don't have a chance.

Yes, the defense is good. Great, even—at least when it comes to yards allowed. But Houston was 11th in scoring defense, 25th in takeaways and 29th in sacks entering Week 16. So they've allowed some big plays but not made many of their own.

And man, oh man, does this offensive offense need some big plays. A short field off a turnover. A pick-six here and there.

They got one against the Bengals. Safety Quintin Demps intercepted Andy Dalton at around the Bengals 40 in the second half of Saturday's snoozefest—and Savage and the offense proceeded to go three-and-out.

Long story short, one week after Savage looked like he might be the spark the Houston aerial attack so desperately needed, he looked very much like a 26-year-old clipboard-holder making his first NFL start.

Granted, the absence of tailback Lamar Miller hurt the Texans' ground game. And the lack of a ground game hurt Savage. But this was a Bengals defense that barely ranks inside the top 20, playing without linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

And Houston's offense looked just as lost and lurching as it had with Osweiler under center.

Tim Warner/Getty Images

You can tell yourself the Texans aren't the only team in the AFC playoff picture with problems under center. That's true. It's also probably going to be the demarcation that determines the teams that stick around the tournament for a bit versus those saying "hello" just long enough to say "goodbye."

You can also tell yourself Savage just needs time. More reps. If you want to believe that, OK. He has a trip to Nashville to face a Tennessee Titans team that was just Grinched in the cruelest way imaginable.

That's it. And there wasn't even a flicker Saturday that led one to believe that will be enough for him to suddenly morph into the kind of giant-slayer who could take down Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger in the postseason.

The Texans offense has put the defense in an untenable position. Stand on your heads every week. Don't make any mistakes. Never let up.

And then, if the other team's kicker misses from 43 yards as time runs out, they'll win.

It doesn't take a gridiron genius to see that's not a sustainable path to victory in the NFL playoffs. It's the path to hello-goodbye.

Gary Davenport is an NFL analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter: @IDPSharks.