The Houston Texans have to have been hoping for more from Case Keenum this past weekend. Case Keenum came in as relief for C.J. Stroud on Saturday against the New York Giants and went 7-13 for 73 yards and a touchdown. Yet, he only averaged 5.6 yards per reception and had a lot of ugly passes compared to the amount he threw. Keenum looked like was a step behind how Davis Mills has usually played this preseason. Mills, who missed the game due to an injury, has looked exceptional against the second-tier defenses he's faced.
Keenum, however, struggles more than Mills does. He doesn't have the arm strength that Mills or Stroud have, and that is evident by the fact that he throws a lot of underneath stuff. Yet Keenum didn't look his best against a weak Giants defense. He was slow in the pocket and didn't seem to be the most accurate player he could've been.
He's getting up there in age, he's 36 and was never known for being an athlete or having a strong arm, and now it seems all the more evident that he's just not the guy he needs to be anymore. The Giants' second-team gave Keenum a really strong challenge, which isn't what you want to hear about your backup. You want your backup to be good enough to beat the starters on a good defense.
If this is the level of play Keenum can produce, it's time to admit Mills is the guy and move on from Keenum.
Yes, Keenum wasn't atrocious. He did help John Metchie look good, and even connected with him for a touchdown, but that's not enough on its own. Remember, while we're evaluating players on how they play during the preseason, we're not ignoring how they played last season. Keenum struggled in relief for Stroud last season as well.
Now we're just watching him regress a bit more. Keenum's time in Houston should come to an end, but we're not sure Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans agrees with that idea just yet.