With Deshaun Watson out with an injury, coach Bill O’Brien doesn’t want to see Tom Savage playing tentatively. In fact, the coach wants the exact opposite.
“Play loose, play free (and) let it rip,” O’Brien said, via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. “Have some fun. Don’t worry about anything other than making the right reads. … I think these guys need to stop worrying about being hard on themselves,” O’Brien said. “Just let it rip. That’s how I think they need to play.”
Obviously, Savage is not Watson. As such, he’s not going to be on par with Watson when he does “let it rip.”
With that said, O’Brien is right. Forget about reaching Watson’s level. If Savage is playing tight, he’s not even going to play to the best of his own abilities.
Sure, playing loose and letting it rip may lead to some mistakes. Indeed, those mistakes could even cost the team the game. But if Savage plays cautiously, his team won’t be in position to lose a game because of one mistake.