Why Brock's benching may have just saved his career
At this point in the season, Brock Osweiler looks like a $72 million disappointment. He has thrown for 15 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, and is only averaging 5.8 yards per pass attempt while owning a 72.2 passer rating. He has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL, but I still have faith. Brock has yet to play a full 16 games in Bill O'Brien's very complicated system, and has yet to grasp the offense. For any rookie QB, whether a first overall pick or an undrafted rookie, it takes about a year for a QB to become comfortable in any offense. While it didn't work out for Brock in the first 14 games of the season, he has had a few weeks to regroup and focus on improving his craft. The benching also can provide a reality check for the young QB. If Brock knows that his job is not a given, he may play to his fullest potential. We saw him at his best last season in Denver as the backup for legendary QB Peyton Manning, and he played with a purpose.
There is no question about his work ethic, as he has proven time and again that he takes the extra effort to gain chemistry with his receivers and try to hone his craft, like he did in the preseason. His benching certainly will show him that he needs to make even more of an effort and work even harder.
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I honestly believe the benching of Brock Osweiler will make him a better QB and could possibly make him the franchise quarterback of the Texans. Obviously this franchise doesn't demand excellence from the QB position (seen through the history of quarterbacking for this team), and Brock is far from excellent. However, he can be a solid starter in the NFL with his size and athleticism, as well as a strong arm. While he hasn't completed many big plays due to his erratic accuracy, he has the arm strength to get it to any receiver. He still has to improve his decision making, but I think that his overall play will improve because he is playing for his job and knows his career is on the line.
There are certain situations that work for Brock. He has played his best as a Texan when in the no huddle, and when the offense was spaced out. Brock mentioned that he is comfortable with the no huddle offense, and I think that if the Texans want to be successful offensively, an up tempo offense will definitely help Osweiler perform better. Most of the throws he makes late in the game is when the Texans are trying to score late and work in the no huddle. His QB rating in the 4th quarter is 83.1, and in the 4th quarter in a one possession game, his QB rating is 101.7. If the Texans speed up their offensive attack, then they can prevent the amount of rushed throws and pressured pockets that Osweiler faces on a weekly basis, which will probably lead him to making better throws and decisions.
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With one year left, Brock needs to prove that he can become the franchise QB. Now that he knows his job is not a given and he has been able to study the playbook with less distractions, he may show flashes of what he did in Denver, and what gave him his 72 million dollar contract in Houston. There are formulas with Brock that work, and if he plays with the same purpose he did in Denver, his benching may save his career.
