Texans’ Tom Savage Unharmed In 28-17 Preseason Win Over Cowboys

Tom Savage emerged from the Houston Texans’ 28-17 preseason finale loss to the Dallas Cowboys unhurt, despite getting slammed on his back while scrambling late in the third quarter.

Texans’ Tom Savage Unharmed In 28-17 Preseason Win Over Cowboys

The third-year quarterback stood up again following a play that occurred close to where he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury on the same field in the same game one year ago.

Already selected as the backup to Brock Osweiler, Savage converted two fourth downs for touchdowns– both to running back Akeem Hunt on a run and a pass.

Savage, 26, completed 12 of 18 passes for 119 yards.

Cowboys quarterback Jameill Showers– who is currently the backup to rookie Dak Prescott with veteran Tony Romo sidelined by a broken bone in his back– played the entire game as planned, but struggled all throughout. The second-year QB had a first-quarter touchdown pass, but fumbled at the Dallas 19 to set up the Texans’ first touchdown and threw an interception that was returned 9 yards for a TD by Antonio Allen. 

Showers completed 10 of 25 passes for 91 yards.

Dallas signed another former Texas A&M quarterback, Jarrod Johnson, before the game in case Showers got injured.

Savage led an 80-yard drive to the other score by Hunt, 10-yard catch on fourth-and-3.

Savage– who was selected by the Texans in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh– was the third-stringer one year ago when he got injured late in a Cowboys victory.

Fellow Texans quarterback Brandon Weeden, who lost three starts as the Cowboys backup last year after the first of Romo’s two broken left collarbones, threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Keith Mumphrey. Weeden also had an interception returned 59 yards for a TD by rookie Anthony Brown. 

Weeden, a 32-year-old selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2012 Draft out of Oklahoma State, finished 9 of 13 for 116 yards.

Brown, a sixth-round pick, stepped in front of Weeden’s pass to Cecil Shorts III along the sideline and ran untouched to the end zone late in the third quarter. Darius Jackson, another sixth-rounder, scored an 18-yard touchdown on a screen pass from Showers to open the scoring.

Houston’s Kenny Hilliard and Hunt got most of the carries as the Texans try to sort out things behind Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue at running back. Hilliard had 27 carries for 89 yards, and Hunt ran 12 times for 44 yards.

ARLINGTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 01: Tom Savage #3 of the Houston Texans reacts during a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on September 1, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)