Sixteen times. That’s how many shotgun snaps quarterback Ryan Mallett took during a 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs where he nearly rallied the Texans to a comeback.
During that sequence, a total of two series, Mallett ran the no-huddle three times and was sacked once. He played with an up-tempo style in relief of starter Brian Hoyer, completing 8 of 13 passes for 98 yards, one touchdown and a successful two-point conversion pass.
Now, the job belongs to Mallett heading into Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, according to sources not authorized to speak publicly. And the start goes to Mallett largely for his ability to rally the offense in a hurry.
“I wasn’t surprised at all,” said wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, speaking generally about Mallett’s performance against the Chiefs and his abilities. “I don’t think anyone was, because that’s how he is all of the time. He’s energized and ready to go.”
Mallett, who’ll make his third start in two seasons Sunday, is grateful to have receiver DeAndre Hopkins for a security blanket. Hopkins caught touchdown passes of 4 and 8 yards from Hoyer and Mallett, respectively, against the Chiefs. The latter reception was especially difficult, but he somehow held on to the football.
It’s like he’s Spider-Man,” Mallett said. “You throw the ball and it sticks to his hands. Any time you’ve got a guy like that, you feel confident.”
Told that Mallett called him Spider-Man, Hopkins laughed and said, “That’s great coming from a guy who throws 100 miles per hour.”
