Houston Texans: Already Time for a Quarterback Change

So did anyone really see this coming?

Perhaps. But maybe not this soon.

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Last week in their season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer had a forgettable debut for his newest team. Against Justin Houston and company, the well-traveled signal-caller threw for 236 yards and one score but completed just 52.9 percent of his throws, was sacked four times, threw one interception and lost a fumble.

Enter backup Ryan Mallett, who once upon a time in August was demoted for oversleeping and missing practice. But he woke up the Chiefs defense by completed eight of his 13 pass attempts for 98 yards and a score last Sunday in a game Houston wound up losing, 27-20.

Sep 13, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett (15) during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

A year ago, new head coach Bill O’Brien had problems keeping a quarterback on the field. Mallett was one of three different starters (along with since-traded Ryan Fitzpatrick and Case Keenum) while then-rookie Tom Savage also saw action during the regular season before getting hurt. Those four players combined to throw for 22 scores while being picked off just 13 times and losing three fumbles. The Texans improved from 2-14 in 2013 to nine wins this past season.

Now, O’Brien will make the switch due to Hoyer’s ineffectiveness rather than an injury, certainly a departure from last year. But the head coach also knows that he’s facing one of the better defenses in the league this week (minus middle linebacker Luke Kuechly) in the Carolina Panthers.

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So is it time for Mallett to shine. The Texans certainly hope so but to be honest, there’s not a lot to go on. The 2011 third-round pick of the New England from the University of Arkansas was dealt to Houston in 2014. In four-plus NFL seasons, he’s made just two starts (both for the Texans) and his career totals read as 50-of-92 (54.5 percent) for 515 yards, three touchdown passes and three interceptions.

This is not only a pivotal moment for Mallett but O’Brien’s entire team as well. The head coach certainly doesn’t want to get into the habit of switching quarterbacks on a regular basis. A year ago, it was certainly understandable due to the rash of injuries at the position. This offseason, it was a pretty close battle for the job between Hoyer and Mallett and obviously O’Brien wasted little time making this switch after last week’s performance.

It’s far from panic time in Houston and the Texans are a team capable of making a playoff run this season. The hope for the clubs is that they have not only found some reliability in Mallett but that O’Brien won’t be revisiting this issue anytime soon.

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