Who Will Win the Houston Texans’ QB Competition?
Please allow me to introduce myself, I am a new contributor here at Toro Times. As you can see above, my name is Ethan Lington and my Twitter is spelled the same, @EthanLington. I am an avid Texans fan, as I was born in Houston and raised in a football loving family. I now reside in a Dallas suburb, perpetually bombarded with Cowboys stigma. Enjoy.
Who Will Win the Houston Texans Starting QB Competition?
His name will be the one that announcers call come fall. Why? Let me explain…
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Many people will point to the Houston Texans’ lack of an “Elite” quarterback, but I find that this is only half true.
Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett is still an unknown quantity. There are many that doubt he possesses the ability to become an elite passer in the NFL, and to them I say “roll the film.”
Since entering the league, Mallett has been known by many names. One that intrigues me the most is “rocket arm.” Tom Withers of the Associated Press first reported on what then-former teammate Brian Hoyer had to say about Mallett’s arm.
“It’s the strongest arm I’ve ever seen — by far,” Hoyer said.
While Mallett did struggle with accuracy throughout his college career, he has always been known for having a cannon for an arm. Watch the tape from the Cleveland Browns shellacking last season and you can clearly see that he has developed that area of his game. His “rocket arm,” paired with his hunger to play (and win), is a recipe for success in 2016 for the Houston Texans.
Mallett’s stat line from the Cleveland game does not jump off of the page at first glance (2 TDs, 1 INT, 20/30 comp, 95.3 QBR), but it must be taken into account the conditions in which he played. In his first start in his budding career, Ryan Mallett looked poised, confident and in control. He led the Texans offense to a 23-7 victory in the frigid Cleveland climate, and set an NFL mark for quickest release time (2.06 seconds – for comparison, 2nd fastest during the 2014 season was Peyton Manning with 2.28 seconds).
Yes, there are two other quarterbacks to take into account. Enter Brian Hoyer, a quarterback so bad that Johnny Manziel was handed the starting job (and we all saw how well that went). I have no faith in Hoyer as a starter. He is the only known quantity on this roster, and needs to familiarize himself with the sideline. He might prove to be a capable backup that could help if Mallett were to go down for a second consecutive season.
Second year quarterback Tom Savage is another unknown. From the snippet of plays he was forced into, he displayed a lack of confidence handling the football. He possesses the tools to become a solid NFL starter, but it may take a while to develop completely; especially considering the lack of previous college experience.
In my eyes, Mallett clearly shows leadership ability, maturity, great work ethic and other qualities one would want for a starting quarterback in the NFL. Hopefully time will show the Texans the Mallett is their man for the long-haul.
Next: Will The Texans Regret Not Drafting a Quarterback Again?