The Houston Hook: Texans need to keep building up Davis Mills

The Houston Hook looks at Houston Texans QB Davis Mills and his preseason, plus the rest of the AFC South prepares for Week 1 with roster decisions.

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills may have not played his best game yet this preseason on Saturday night during the 23-16 loss to the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That’s fine because he’s a rookie, it is the preseason, and was it mentioned he’s a rookie still learning how to be an NFL QB in the preseason?

This isn’t the time to overreact because of some preseason miscues.

Mills was 10-of-27 for 106 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions against the Buccaneers at NRG Stadium. The previous week against the Dallas Cowboys, Mills finished 10-of-16 for 115 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. When the Texans faced the Green Bay Packers in the preseason opener Mills finished 11-of-22 for 112 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

That means combined in three preseason games the rookie Mills finished 31-of-65 for 333 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions. Sure, Mills needs to continue to learn how to read NFL defenses, work on his passing, and needs to get accustomed to the style and speed of an NFL game.

It must be tough to adjust not only to a new offense, a new league and to the speed of the game all at once, but add in the fact he’s on a team that’s not expected to win many games, and that makes for a rough welcome to an NFL career.

Those factors must amplify the progress of how Mills is learning the game with the Houston Texans.

Texans general manager Nick Caserio had to see something he liked with Mills, and has to believe he has the potential to grow as a quarterback or he wouldn’t have selected Mills with a third round choice in the 2021 NFL Draft. GM’s don’t draft a player they don’t believe in with a third round pick, especially if that player the first one selected by the franchise in that draft like Mills was.

As it has been written multiple times at the Toro Times, it will take patience with Mills and his progression as an NFL quarterback. With time and more work all of us will see what kind of player Mills will become.

Houston Texans: AFC South preparing for 2021 regular season

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Mike Luciano of Horseshoe Heroes writes about players on the Colts preseason roster and whether if they should stay or be released. One of the players mentioned is defensive back Marvell Tell III who was a fifth round pick in 2019.

TENNESSEE TITANS: Geoffrey Knox of Titan Sized has an article about the Titans’ “winners and losers” from their preseason finale game against the Chicago Bears on Saturday. One of the winners was running back Mekhi Sargent.

JACKSONVILLE JAUARS: Carlos Sanchez of Black and Teal writes about four players on the Jacksonville roster who could be traded before the start of the 2021 season. Remember the Jaguars open the season against the Houston Texans in Week 1.