Vincent Frank
Brian Hoyer’s first game after being named Houston Texans starter
Earlier this week, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien named Hoyer the starting quarterback. While that might have been a nice shot in the arm for the veteran, it didn’t seem to come with the full weight of the coach’s support behind him. That was magnified by his comments regarding Ryan Mallett after informing him of the decision that Hoyer would start:
“You have to prepare every single week like you’re the starter. You have to be ready to play at a moment’s notice.” O’Brien said, via Fox Sports. “I believe that he understands that. I’m sure that he doesn’t agree with the decision, but I can tell you that he’s a professional … and he’ll handle himself in such a way that we all expect from him.”
The reality of the situation is that Hoyer is a safer pick. He has experience (and some success) starting in the NFL. Meanwhile, Mallett possesses much higher upside than his counterpart. And if preseason stats are an indication (they aren’t), Mallett may very well find himself under center should Hoyer falter early on.
Considering O’Brien named Hoyer the starter prior to the third preseason game, it’s unlikely that he will change his mind before giving the veteran some sort of time to prove he should retain the job during the regular year. Though, it will be interesting to see how both quarterbacks perform this week.
