After replacing the ineffective Tom Savage in Week 1, Houston Texans rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson will reportedly get his first start in Week 2.
Texans will go with Deshaun Watson as their QB Thursday night. Ankle shouldn't be an issue. 1st rnd pick is their new starting QB
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) September 12, 2017
The move is not a surprise to the Cincinnati Bengals or their coach, Marvin Lewis, who said made it clear that the Bengals were preparing for Watson even before this announcement.
“We’re kind of planning on it being Deshaun because they made the change at halftime,” Lewis said in a conference call Tuesday with Houston reporters, per Aaron Wilson, Houston Chronicle. “I would imagine it would be him coming forward this week.”
Watson’s Week 1 performance was far from stellar. He went 12-for-23 with 102 yards passing, threw a touchdown pass, and committed two turnovers (one interception, one fumble).
But even that was a step ahead of Savage, who went 7-for-13 for 62 yards, lost two fumbles (one of which was returned for a score), and failed to lead his team to any points in the first half.
It will be a short week of practice for Watson and the Texans, who will take on the Bengals in Cincinnati on Thursday night.