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Texans rookie quarterback Tom Savage opened some eyes Saturday night in Denver, and coach Bill O’Brien admitted that he had gained ground on Case Keenum for the right to be their backup.

O’Brien forgot to share that with Keenum, however.

“I hadn’t heard that until you just told me,” Keenum said, via Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle. “But it’s not something that I pay attention to. I’m just trying to get better every day, work hard, and be the best quarterback in this offense that I can be.”

Considering the starter is journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick, the competition is not an insignificant one.

And with the draft pick Savage directing a sharp two-minute drill to lead the Texans back for a win against the Broncos, it’s natural to wonder if he can leapfrog the guy O’Brien inherited and didn’t pick.

“We’re pulling for each other,” Keenum said. “We’re all on the same team here. To see him lead the team down there in the two-minute drive, that was awesome. We were all going pretty crazy on the sideline. Preseason or not, we all wanted to win that game. Tom did a great job of leading those guys down the field, getting in the end zone, and converting the two points.”

If the fourth-rounder can put on another solid display Thursday, he has a chance to end up a a play away from the field for the Texans. And with a roster that’s stacked on defense and missing that one key component on offense, that likely means a chance to play before some of the quarterbacks who were chosen in the first round this year.