Trent Dilfer joins SVP to break down what's going to change for Tom Savage now that he's the new Texans starter and the tough situation Brock Osweiler is in as the backup. (2:00)

HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans may not know exactly what they’ll get from quarterback Tom Savage in his first NFL start on Saturday, but he likely will offer an improvement in the team’s ability to throw the ball farther down the field.

The Texans’ offensive identity this season has been in their running game, led by starter Lamar Miller and an offensive line anchored by veteran left tackle Duane Brown. Though the Texans have won games this season by leaning on that ground game, opponents have been able to stop them through the air, or at least limit them to short passes.

Savage took over for Brock Osweiler in the second quarter of a victory Sunday over the Jacksonville Jaguars and was 26-of-39 for 260 yards, which was one of the best passing games the Texans have had this year.

One area in which Osweiler especially struggled was throwing downfield. On passes thrown 15 yards or more downfield on Sunday, Osweiler was 0-for-2 with two interceptions, while Savage was 4-for-8 for 89 yards. In 14 games this season, Osweiler averaged 5.75 yards per attempt, which is on pace to be the NFL’s third-lowest average in the last five seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

With strong-armed Tom Savage starting at quarterback, the Texans now pose a threat to beat defenses downfield. Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports

Another area were Savage showed promise was in getting wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins involved heavily in the offense. The fourth-year receiver had eight catches for 87 yards, which is the most yards he’s had in a game since Week 2. In Houston's seven most recent games before Sunday, he had just one with more than 60 receiving yards.

Osweiler was intercepted on his lone throw to Hopkins on Sunday, his ninth interception while targeting the Pro Bowl receiver this season, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Savage was 8-of-14 targeting Hopkins. The eight receptions were tied for Hopkins' second-most in a game this season.

"You know that he’s one of the best receivers in this league, and it was good to show that today,” Savage said.

In 2015, Hopkins ranked third in both targets (190) and receptions (111). Through 14 games this season, he is tied for ninth in targets and tied for 23rd in catches.

On Saturday, against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Texans will face a passing defense ranked 13th in the league. The Cincinnati secondary, led by cornerbacks Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick, has allowed an average of just 241.6 passing yards per game.

Texans head coach Bill O’Brien has put his faith in Savage for the Christmas Eve matchup against the Bengals and has praised the third-year man for his accuracy and proficiency against the Jaguars. “I thought he threw the ball very accurately,” O’Brien said. “I thought he made the right reads. It wasn’t perfect. There were some things that he needs to improve on, but I thought he made some good throws, made some big throws. A couple on third down. A couple down the field. Some were caught. Some weren’t caught, but I thought they were in the right spot.

“He’s worked very hard to know our offense. He’s a good practice player. Now he has to continue to be a good player on Sundays -- or Saturday night.”