NFL Preseason Week 1 Storylines
By Jon Dove
7. Will Brock Osweiler live up to his big-money contract?
One of the bigger surprises of the offseason was Brock Osweiler leaving the Denver Broncos to sign a big-money contract with the Houston Texans. He now faces a ton of pressure to live up to that contract and also lead the Texans back to the playoffs.
Osweiler has all the physical tools needed to succeed in the NFL. He has a strong throwing arm, excellent size and is a better athlete than most realize. The issue is his decision making and ability to make proper reads.
He needs to do a better job reading the defense and identifying the open receiver. This is something that can improve with experience which is something Osweiler lacks having sat behind Peyton Manning for the majority of his career.
This weekend we will get our first, but brief, look of Osweiler in a Texans uniform. The ideal situation would be for him to lead one series where he helps the team pick up a first down or two.
His long-term potential is helped by the presence of head coach Bill O’Brien who has a reputation of developing quarterbacks. The Texans have also focused on surrounding Osweiler with plenty of weapons such as Lamar Miller, DeAndre Hopkins and William Fuller.
Expectations are high and will only be made worse if things get off the a slow start.