The Texans made a quarterback change during their Week 1 shellacking vs. the Chiefs, and head coach Bill O’Brien is staying tight-lipped on whether it will be Brian Hoyer or Ryan Mallett under center in Week 2. The coach said the world will find out who is starting when the Texans offense takes the field Sunday afternoon.
Here is how both Mallett and Hoyer stack up before we make an educated guess at whose number O’Brien will call.
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Brian Hoyer
Hoyer opened the season as the starter based on his perceived reliability. He doesn’t have all of Mallett’s physical upside, but he would not put the offense in bad situations, and he would move the chains. Well, on Sunday he didn’t do that.
Instead, Hoyer completed slightly more than half his pass attempts, threw for one touchdown and one interception. Looking deeper into it, his reputation is incorrect. Hoyer has thrown 20 career touchdowns and 20 career picks. In his only extended run as a starter – last season in Cleveland – he threw 13 picks and 12 touchdown passes, and was eventually benched for Johnny Manziel. In fact, in two of the last three seasons Hoyer’s thrown more picks than touchdowns.
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Ryan Mallett
Mallett is the “upside” guy with all the talent, but without the “steadiness” of Hoyer. He has never been given a real chance in the NFL playing behind Tom Brady in New England, and he spoiled any chances of starting this year when he overslept through an entire practice. Yes, he had been informed a day earlier that Hoyer was the No. 1, but he wiped out the opportunity to blow the coaches away and change their mind.
Mallett’s arm strength is not in doubt. He has better size, and more arm talent than Hoyer. Maybe he is a turnover machine, but no one can say for sure because of his limited playing time. In 92 career passes Mallett has thrown three touchdowns and three picks. So his rate is basically the same as Hoyer’s.
Prediction: O’Brien chooses Hoyer for the same reasons he chose him in Week 1. It is hard to believe that O’Brien’s mindset shifted so dramatically after less than one game, and Hoyer –and his steady hand – will be given one more opportunity prove he can be the game manager Houston needs. There will be a short leash, however, so a rough quarter will lead to Mallett’s insertion.
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