AFC South: Four bold predictions

Aug 15, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer (7) directs his team in the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in a preseason NFL football game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Both quarterbacks for the Houston Texans have had their share of hype at one point or another during their playing career. For Ryan Mallett, that praise was immense during his impressive collegiate run at Arkansas. Brian Hoyer had the hype train in full speed after ripping off three wins in a row for his hometown Cleveland Browns.

Both guys sadly saw that hype come to a crashing halt as Mallett dropped big time in the 2011 Draft. He wound up being selected by the New England Patriots in round three, where he was teammates with Hoyer and worked with Bill O’Brien who spent time as a quarterback coach and offensive coordinator for the Pats.

O’Brien brought Mallett in last season and after coming to the team late, Mallett spent much of the year on the bench. When he finally did play he looked to be very competent in a win, then struggled the following week in a loss. An injury was to blame for the bad second outing as a torn pectoral muscle ended the quarterback’s season after only two starts.

Hoyer’s crash came in a  painful way as well when a torn ACL stopped him in the midst of his winning streak during the 2013 season. The Michigan State product returned to Cleveland last year only to struggle to get completions with a cast of characters that included a man with paper hamstrings, Miles Austin, and a reality star, Andrew Hawkins as the top receivers.

Throw in the mix tight end Jordan Cameron‘s concussions and desire to leave town and receiver Josh Gordon pretending he was in the movie “Friday” and it is no wonder he was unsuccessful in Cleveland.

After one preseason game though I am ready to make a bold prediction for the Texans quarterback situation, even if coach Bill isn’t ready to name a starter. Whoever winds up being the guy to start the year will not only having a good season, but will erase the bad perception of themselves while getting Houston into the playoffs with a real shot at winning the division.

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