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Many fans of the Houston Texans (and perhaps the Texans' coaches as well?) were hoping the performance of Ryan Mallett and/or Brian Hoyer last night against the Broncos would provide some clarity, if not a definitive answer, as to who should be Houston's starting quarterback when the team opens their regular season against the Chiefs. Yet throughout the Broncos' 14-10 victory, it's fair to say that the offense looked inept enough with both Mallett and Hoyer under center that neither separated themselves last night. In his postgame comments, Bill O'Brien certainly didn't sound like he was ready to proclaim the competition over. From the Chronicle:
"Probably be tough to do," Texans coach Bill O’Brien said when asked if this game broke the tie at quarterback. "I do think it’s very even, and that says a lot about both guys. Was it great? I thought the whole offense was really subpar. I don’t think it was any one guy’s fault. I’d say it starts with me."
It has to be mentioned that what we see is only a sliver of the information available to O'Brien and the staff as they determine who gives the Texans the best chance to win this year. It will be quite interesting to see who O'Brien gives the starting nod to next week in New Orleans, particularly because the third preseason game is generally considered to be the closest thing to a regular season game, right down to the starters typically playing well into the second half. As of last night, the decision about who'll be first under center for the Texans next Sunday had yet to be made (or at least conveyed to the candidates).
Ryan Mallett said he hasn't been informed on playing rotation for quarterbacks in third preseason game yet.
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 23, 2015
A few questions to get the discussion going on this Sunday afternoon for you...
1. Who do you think will be the Texans' starting QB against the Saints?
2. Who should it be?
3. Will the starting QB next week be the team's starter against Kansas City?
4. Who should be the Texans' starting quarterback when the regular season begins?
5. Are you disappointed in what you've seen from Houston's QBs so far this year? Or is it about what you expected?Or is it "just preseason" and thus no cause for alarm?
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