Gerald Hanks
Texans starting quarterback T.J. Yates and backup signal-caller Taylor Heinicke both underwent the NFL’s concussion tests during the Christmas Day game at NRG Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Yates, acquired by the team earlier this month, replaced Tom Savage as the starting quarterback after the Texans placed Savage on injured reserve with a concussion.
Pittsburgh defenders sacked Yates four times in the first half during the game; after the fourth sack, Yates went out of the game for testing under the concussion protocol.
Heinicke, promoted from the team’s practice squad, replaced Yates for the final play of the first half and the first series of the second half; at the end of this series, defense sacked Heinicke, who then underwent concussion testing himself.
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Although Yates eventually went back into the game, Texans ended up losing 34-6, and the only score came on a throw from Yates, caught in heavy defensive traffic by wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in the fourth quarter of a game.
Yates finished the game with seven completions on 16 attempts for 83 yards, with one touchdown, an interception and a lost fumble; in his only full series, Heinicke completed his only pass attempt for 10 yards.
The qb-by-defualt also sustained another two sacks in the second half, for a total of seven for the Steelers defense; team leaders said both quarterbacks underwent further concussion testing this week to evaluate if either of them should play in the season’s final game at Indianapolis currently scheduled for New Year’s Eve.
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Early in the season, the team benched Savage in favor of formerly-promising rookie DeShaun Watson, who ended up suffering a season-ending knee injury during practice in October, bringing Savage back into the starting lineup.
Despite his playtime, team officials became forced to place Savage on season-ending injured reserve after a concussion sustained in a game against the San Francisco 49ers in early December.
Since Watson’s injury, the Texans only won one of their last eight games.
