Houston Texans: Mallett/Hoyer Outlook
Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien, while it’s not a secret that he’s not crazy about being in the spotlight, he’s not shy about saying what he thinks to the media. And what he’s said latest has had the city of Houston buzzing about his team wildly, despite being two more months away from playing their first game against Kansas City.
"“If we don’t [pick a guy soon], and the decision does go into training camp, it’ll be made pretty early on” – O’Brien"
Those were his words last week, when most experts thought the quarterback battler between prospects Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett was still a close one. With Hoyer’s NFL resume still rather short and Mallett’s practically a giant question mark, many were lead to believe the gunslinging contest might last until as late as week 3 in preseason trials. (Myself, also being one of those people.)
But that’s not what the coach said, he’s more concerned with “moving on” from this point of controversy, no doubt not just with the city’s fans but with talk within the team as well at this point.
"“The team needs to know who the guy is, and we need to go forward.” – O’Brien"
While it’s unlikely, it’s still possible that the team is forced to delay naming a starter even further than O’Brien would like, simply due to the sheer neck and neck performances the two passers are delivering him. One opinion that should be voiced is, “Why force a starter now? Why not give them more time? Why not at least wait until after a preseason game or two for the guys to get reps in full pads against an actual defense?”
It’s not uncommon for O’Brien to name a starter this early in the season’s formulation. Last year he named Ryan Fitzpatrick the starter on June 17th, amidst a quarterback situation that makes this year look like a five star resort in comparison. While he’s had a lot of experience in bringing up young signal callers, bursting at the seems with promise, it seems likely that the position’s success will warrant much more scrutiny than in previous coaching eras in Houstons’ past.
I’m sure that O’Brien knew that when he took the job. But hey, going 9-7 and losing a playoff berth in a three-way tie while juggling through four starting QB’s by the end of 17 weeks. Having a superb defense will take us a long way this year but the confidence instilled in a field general on offense will be the extra push the Texans need to become a serious contender in January.