Do the Houston Texans Have a Problem?

Save for some offseason surgery for four-time Pro Bowl running back Arian Foster, it has been a fairly uneventful offseason for the Houston Texans this offseason – even with the Hard Knocks cameras of HBO rolling this summer.

ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: Texans Made Right Call on Brian Hoyer

So what do we make of the last two days, when now back-up quarterback Ryan Mallett (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle) overslept and missed Thursday’s practice?

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“The situation with Ryan not being at practice, that’s between Ryan and I,” said Texans head coach Bill O’Brien at a press gathering. “There are a lot things that I will explain to you and I realize that (reporters) have a job to do, I really do. I have a lot of respect for you and your profession and what you’re trying to do with information and all those things. I get it. But some things are left within the team, and this is one of them.”

Aug 15, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer (7) directs his team in the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in a preseason NFL football game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

But on Friday, Mallet was not taking snaps with the second string offense but was playing with the third team, behind both Brian Hoyer (who was officially named the starter on Monday) and second-year pro Tom Savage, who has looked like a much-improved player when we have seen him. Via Wilson, Mallett threw a couple of touchdown passes on Friday but when O’Brien was asked about his sleepy signal-caller he went in a somewhat different direction.

“Well, I thought Brian Hoyer had a good practice,” stated the Texans’ sideline leader. “I thought he did some really good things in practice today. I think Tom (Savage) did some decent things, and when Ryan got in there, he was able to do some things. But I would say Brian Hoyer had one of his better practices. Situationally and all the different things we threw at him, I thought he had a good, solid practice.”

In case anyone though O’Brien might be hedging his bets on naming Hoyer the starter this week or was getting ready to demote Mallett for his miscue, think again. The Texans’ head coach knows he will need all three of these players to be ready this upcoming season.

In 2014, Houston had a problem keeping their quarterbacks healthy and on the field. The team utilized three different starters (Mallett, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Case Keenum) and Savage also saw action during the regular season before getting hurt. The quartet combined for 22 touchdown passes and just 16 turnovers (13 interceptions, 3 lost fumbles) during last year’s 9-7 finish.

One year earlier, Keenum, Matt Schaub and T.J. Yates teamed for 19 scores but coughed up the ball 25 times, with five of their 19 interceptions returned for scores.

Also keep in mind that we have yet to see a complete season out of Hoyer, who has toiled with his share of teams but slumped late in 2014 with the Cleveland Browns.

So do the Texans have issues at quarterback or is the mini-demotion of Mallett much ado about nothing. Given the overall lack of experience at the position in terms of starts, you would have to say yes. But O’Brien and his staff did a tremendous job coaching up the quarterbacks this past season.

Should Houston fans, who should be optimistic given all the team’s offseason improvements in 2015, be alarmed over this little bump-in-the-road when it comes to the back-up quarterback?

Let’s be honest. There’s no reason anyone should be losing any sleep over the situation.

Next: Houston Texans: Expectations for Jaelen Strong

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