The Texans brought in QB Brian Hoyer in the offseason to compete for the starting quarterback spot, and it looks as if his reign — for now — will end after just one game, with Ryan Mallett reportedly named the starter for Week 2.
The news doesn’t come as too much of a surprise, as Hoyer has done little to secure the job. It was an average performance by Hoyer on Sunday against the Chiefs, as he earned a -0.4 overall grade. He did well on intermediate range throws, completing 10 of 13 for 179 yards, but he struggled under pressure and was directly responsible for two turnovers on Sunday against the Chiefs.
Mallett performed slightly better when he came in midway through the fourth quarter (+0.8), but he still hasn’t proven to be notably better, or even different, than Hoyer. Both ranked in the bottom-third for accuracy percentage in Week 1, with Hoyer just edging out Mallett 68 percent to 62 percent. This comes after lackluster performances from both QBs in the preseason (+0.9 grade for Hoyer, -1.5 grade for Mallett).
The change at quarterback is not a big difference in our eyes. Mallett may have the “bigger” arm, but he has completed just one regular-season pass in his career that was targeted 20-plus yards downfield. What the Texans need most right now is someone who can be consistent and protect the football — something neither quarterback has proven thus far, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see this competition continue as the season progresses.
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