Osweiler to start wild-card game vs. Raiders

The Houston Texans will turn back to Brock Osweiler as the starting quarterback for Saturday's wild-card game against the Oakland Raiders, head coach Bill O'Brien announced Tuesday.

Osweiler had been relegated to a backup role for a second consecutive game down the stretch before Tom Savage was forced from Sunday's regular-season finale with a concussion.

Savage remains in protocol as the practice week for the playoff opener gets underway. While it remains to be seen whether he'll be cleared to play, Osweiler will get the start regardless.

As the Texans set out in search of their first playoff win since 2012 - potentially taking advantage of a Raiders team down to rookie Connor Cook under center - going with the quarterback who can take first-team practice reps throughout the week is certainly a sensible move.

Osweiler has been unable to live up to expectations since joining the Texans on a four-year, $72-million deal in free agency. He completed just 59 percent of his passes for 2,957 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions through 15 regular-season appearances.