Texans morning huddle: QB door revolves some more, rookies impress
By Randy Gurzi
The Houston Texans once again have a new starting quarterback. This time it is their old starting quarterback. You know, the one who won the training camp competition and then was told he is not on a short leash. 54 minutes into the season he was out. Now as Week 6 approaches, he is back…although he never really left as he played in two of the three games he didn’t start…
Let’s just get to the news links…
Bill O’Brien names Texans QB Brian Hoyer starter for Week 6 vs. Jaguars – by Tania Ganguli, ESPN
"Brian Hoyer is the Houston Texans’ starting quarterback.For how long remains uncertain.“I think it’s 11 one-game seasons,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “He’s the starter for Jacksonville. I think over the last two games, he’s gone in there with a really good attitude, with a calmness about him. Really good mechanics. Has he been perfect? No. … I think overall he’s played pretty well, so we’re going to go with him against Jacksonville.”Hoyer relieved Ryan Mallett in the second quarter of Thursday night’s 27-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He threw for 312 yards, completing 24 of 31 passes and throwing two touchdown passes to receiver Jaelen Strong.Hoyer was the first quarterback since Chad Henne in 2012 to throw for more than 300 yards in a game he didn’t start. His only significant miscue came in the fourth quarter with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Under pressure, Hoyer floated up a pass on third down that was intercepted.Hoyer began the season as the Texans’ Week 1 starter but was benched for Mallett in the fourth quarter of Houston’s season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Mallett started the team’s next three games; he went 1-2, throwing two touchdowns and three interceptions, and completed 50.8 percent of his passes.With Mallett starting, the Texans (1-4) beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and lost to the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons. Against the Falcons, O’Brien pulled Mallett for Hoyer in the third quarter with Houston trailing 42-0. Hoyer led three touchdown drives against Atlanta.“I think after that first game, I’m sure he put a lot of pressure on himself, and I think you probably saw that,” O’Brien said of Hoyer. “Putting him in the Atlanta game — granted, we were getting killed. Last night was a different story, and I thought he handled himself well other than that last play.”"
Rookies Strong, Mumphery show promise in loss – by Deepi Sidhu, HoustonTexans.com
"The rookie wide receivers made big plays and showed promise in Thursday night’s 27-20 loss to the Colts with veteran receivers Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts III ruled out with injuries. Jaelen Strong made his first two NFL catches in the endzone and became the first player in Texans history to score two receiving touchdowns in his first career game.Strong, inactive for Week 2 through 4, was just waiting for his chance to contribute.“I was hungry, ready to go out there and do whatever I could to help my team win,” Strong said. “Whatever it is.”Strong missed time in OTAs with a hamstring injury and was struggling to catch up in training camp. Bill O’Brien wanted to see him practice better before activating him for a game. Strong has improved in all aspects of his game over the past few weeks.“Jaelen really got his first opportunity last night and came up with a couple big plays,” O’Brien said. “He blocked in the running game. He did some things. I think the more he plays, the better he’ll get. He’s a big, strong guy. He runs well. He’s really done a good job the last couple of weeks of paying attention to detail a little bit better. I think, like I said, the more he plays, the better he’ll get.”Keith Mumphery also came up big on special teams. He finished with two punt returns for 11 yards, although he did have one 36-yard return to the Houston 45-yard line that was negated with a holding penalty. Mumphery also added four catches for 23 yards.“Mumph has come in here and really done a good job for us,” O’Brien said. “Special teams-wise, he’s getting better as a punt returner. Obviously, as a receiver, he’s really done a good job for a rookie.”"
Houston Texans fan fight at NRG Stadium caught on camera during Colts game – by Dylan Baddour, Houston Chronicle
"Video shows a fan fight and in crowded seats of NRG Stadium during a Houston Texans game Thursday night.The Texans were down 27-20 in the fourth quarter, driving down the field when, in the upper seats, Noel M., 32, caught wind of a commotion.He wasn’t sure exactly how it started, but the footage picks up with one man in a headlock while another deals him repeated heavy blows then throws him down several rows of seats.The toppled fellow gets promptly to his feet, ready to reengage his foe, but the crowd steps in to block him.“He gets escorted by security and at the same time Hoyer gets intercepted and no one had any idea that happened,” Noel said."
Bill O’Brien, Duane Brown’s messages to team – by Deepi Sidhu, HoustonTexans.com
"The Texans head into a 10-day stretch coming off back-to-back losses to Atlanta and Indianapolis. There’s still a lot of season left, says head coach Bill O’Brien. The key is to not lose focus with 11 games, nearly 70 percent, of the season remaining.“We all got to work together, we got to stick together and we got to figure out how to get over the hump here,” O’Brien said in the locker room Thursday night. “That was not good tonight. Anytime you come out on the losing end, it’s not good. Were there some good things tonight? Certainly there were, just like in any football game but certainly not enough. Too many penalties, turnovers again, no takeaways again, had trouble stopping the run, had trouble running it at times, but I believe in the guys in that locker room.”Duane Brown agrees. The talent level is too high to give up on the team. The Texans have to shake off Thursday night’s 27-20 loss to Indianapolis and bounce back.“We just have to believe in ourselves and the talent that we have on this team,” Duane Brown said Friday. “I think that’s the message that I tried to spread to the team last night and something that we just have to think about throughout the weekend. We have all the talent in the world on this team, but the whole league is talented so I think you just have to believe in the process, believe in the preparation that we have throughout the week, and put it all together on Sunday.”Houston will begin a two-game tour of Florida, facing Jacksonville and then Miami in Week 6 and 7, before returning to NRG Stadium again."