Ryan Mallett

[Corrosion]

Please stop using the ESPN secret "Hot or Not" QBR meaningless statistic in stat posts. Anything that ranks Tim Tebow higher than Aaron Rodgers (on one of his typically fantastic performances) does not deserve to be disseminated.

Those stats came directly from NFL.com ....

 

[NYTexansFan]

Pro Football Focus grade and commentary on Fitzpatrick's game Monday night:

Houston Texans – Performances of Note

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB: +4.1

Breakdown: It still isn’t time for Ryan Mallett after Fitzpatrick put in another strong display in defeat for the Texans last night. Under duress for much of the night Fitzpatrick showed poise with some quality throws under pressure leading the Texans back to the brink of a comeback on their final drive.

Signature Stat: Pressured on 20 of his 37 dropbacks, Fitzpatrick earned a +3.2passing grade on those plays completing 8 of 15 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown.

 

[Vinnie]

Pro Football Focus grade and commentary on Fitzpatrick's game Monday night:

Houston Texans – Performances of Note

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB: +4.1

Breakdown: It still isn’t time for Ryan Mallett after Fitzpatrick put in another strong display in defeat for the Texans last night. Under duress for much of the night Fitzpatrick showed poise with some quality throws under pressure leading the Texans back to the brink of a comeback on their final drive.

Signature Stat: Pressured on 20 of his 37 dropbacks, Fitzpatrick earned a +3.2passing grade on those plays completing 8 of 15 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown.

Whatevs

 

[Double Barrel]

Nothing about Fitzpatrick has surprised me, because he is exactly who I thought he was before the Texans picked him up. He's a nice guy and certainly has a lot of heart, but at the end of the day, he's never going to be anything more than he's been for the past decade.

This season was never anything but a rebuild year to me, so grasping at straws with Fitz seems pointless if they do not plan for the future. Hopefully, we will get to see what Mallet is about before they decide to do something goofy like given him a long-term contract.

 

[NYTexansFan]

Nothing about Fitzpatrick has surprised me, because he is exactly who I thought he was before the Texans picked him up. He's a nice guy and certainly has a lot of heart, but at the end of the day, he's never going to be anything more than he's been for the past decade.

This season was never anything but a rebuild year to me, so grasping at straws with Fitz seems pointless if they do not plan for the future. Hopefully, we will get to see what Mallet is about before they decide to do something goofy like given him a long-term contract.

If the team implodes around Mallet, I'm afraid he will lose games as well. Will people then view him as a failure, or more sensibly focus on the shortcomings of the team around him. To expect any QB to overcome near record team breakdowns in back to back games is not very sensible. There are plenty of things this team needs to fix before we can properly assess the performance of any QB.

 

[Marcus]

Nothing about Fitzpatrick has surprised me, because he is exactly who I thought he was before the Texans picked him up. He's a nice guy and certainly has a lot of heart, but at the end of the day, he's never going to be anything more than he's been for the past decade.

This season was never anything but a rebuild year to me, so grasping at straws with Fitz seems pointless if they do not plan for the future. Hopefully, we will get to see what Mallet is about before they decide to do something goofy like given him a long-term contract.

I always though it was a rebuild year myself, so to characterize "grasping at straws with Fitz" is inaccurate.

I thought it was a given to everyone that since this IS a rebuilding year, Fitz is nothing more than a caretaker QB until the right one comes along. And the right one is NOT currently on the team.

The only way OB even considers putting Mallett in is if Fitz gets hurt. And you can feel about Fitz any way you wish, but he has proven to very durable, unlike that fragile POS Clowney, so I wouldn't count on it.

I don't understand all this clammoring for Mallet. It's like everyone has forgotten that there was a reason why New England dumped him.

 

[Vinnie]

If the team implodes around Mallet, I'm afraid he will lose games as well. Will people then view him as a failure, or more sensibly focus on the shortcomings of the team around him. To expect any QB to overcome near record team breakdowns in back to back games is not very sensible. There are plenty of things this team needs to fix before we can properly assess the performance of any QB.

Lose with Mallett, lose with Fitz. Same difference. The point here is we know damn well what we have with Fitz and it's mediocre QB play at best and below average most of the time. Why the hell not see what you have in Mallett? If he plays at or above average you improve before the season is lost. If he plays no better than Fitz, you haven't lost anything and you know what you have in the guy. It makes zero sense to continue down the Fitzmagic trail.

 

[santo]

I always though it was a rebuild year myself, so to characterize "grasping at straws with Fitz" is inaccurate.

I thought it was a given to everyone that since this IS a rebuilding year, Fitz is nothing more than a caretaker QB until the right one comes along. And the right one is NOT currently on the team.

The only way OB even considers putting Mallett in is if Fitz gets hurt. And you can feel about Fitz any way you wish, but he has proven to very durable, unlike that fragile POS Clowney, so I wouldn't count on it.

I don't understand all this clammoring for Mallet. It's like everyone has forgotten that there was a reason why New England dumped him.

Then if it's a rebuilding year, it's better to play your qb's you have questions about, than a 10 year vet who 98% of the NFL knows isn't going to improve. Still don't see the reason why Fitz should play all they way till the Texans are mathematically eliminated, if that's what OB is waiting for.

The Titans have already accepted it, maybe we should too.

 

[nero THE zero]

Nothing about Fitzpatrick has surprised me, because he is exactly who I thought he was before the Texans picked him up. He's a nice guy and certainly has a lot of heart, but at the end of the day, he's never going to be anything more than he's been for the past decade.

This season was never anything but a rebuild year to me, so grasping at straws with Fitz seems pointless if they do not plan for the future. Hopefully, we will get to see what Mallet is about before they decide to do something goofy like given him a long-term contract.

I really couldn't GAS whether Mallet plays any this season--he's not the long-term answer--so long as they don't do this.

The long-term answer is not on the roster at this point.

 

[Double Barrel]

If the team implodes around Mallet, I'm afraid he will lose games as well. Will people then view him as a failure, or more sensibly focus on the shortcomings of the team around him. To expect any QB to overcome near record team breakdowns in back to back games is not very sensible. There are plenty of things this team needs to fix before we can properly assess the performance of any QB.

Looking toward the future, they need to find out what they have in Mallet so they can either sign him as the QB going ahead or know what their number one priority should be in the off-season.

I 'expect' nothing from this year's team, and certainly would not expect anything from Mallet other than to see his potential.

I always though it was a rebuild year myself, so to characterize "grasping at straws with Fitz" is inaccurate.

Grasping at straws because I think this coaching staff truly believes that they can make the playoffs. While we perceive it as a rebuild, I get the vibe that they do not.

I thought it was a given to everyone that since this IS a rebuilding year, Fitz is nothing more than a caretaker QB until the right one comes along. And the right one is NOT currently on the team.

Again, I think the folks at Kirby do not perceive it as such, even with McNair saying it is not a rebuild.

And how do we know that the right one is not on the roster when they are not giving Mallet a chance?

Maybe they see enough in practice, so that is an unknown, but with O'Brien's recent comments to the media that Mallet will play this season, I think they are still evaluating him at this point. Those are the head coach's words to an NFL reporter, so they appear to be prepping to give him a chance at some point. When is that point? Probably when the team is no longer in playoff contention.

The only way OB even considers putting Mallett in is if Fitz gets hurt. And you can feel about Fitz any way you wish, but he has proven to very durable, unlike that fragile POS Clowney, so I wouldn't count on it.

It is not about how I feel about Fitzpatrick, but about what he is and has always been for a decade.

This is his fifth team in 10 seasons. What does that say to you? Always everyone else's fault but not his? That's not how this league works.

Okay, so Fitz has a lot of heart, is smart, and now durable. What is missing is the part where he's a consistent QB who can carry this team when they shoot themselves int he foot. He tends to help reload the gun so they can shoot the other foot.

I don't understand all this clammoring for Mallet. It's like everyone has forgotten that there was a reason why New England dumped him.

My 'clamoring' is merely to see what he is about so we have an idea going into the 2015 off-season. I do not expect anything from him, because he is an unknown entity right now.

NE dumped him because they have Brady and Mallet was a backup with one season left on his contract. Get something/anything for him while they can sort of thing. It is their M.O. for as long as they have had Brady.

I really couldn't GAS whether Mallet plays any this season--he's not the long-term answer--so long as they don't do this.

The long-term answer is not on the roster at this point.

Unfortunately, the Texans are capable of making such a decision. That is my only concern, not for/against Mallet, but just to see if he's worth keeping on the roster in 2015.

 

[NYTexansFan]

Lose with Mallett, lose with Fitz. Same difference. The point here is we know damn well what we have with Fitz and it's mediocre QB play at best and below average most of the time. Why the hell not see what you have in Mallett? If he plays at or above average you improve before the season is lost. If he plays no better than Fitz, you haven't lost anything and you know what you have in the guy. It makes zero sense to continue down the Fitzmagic trail.

I don't agree that Fitz is playing below average most of the time. You just don't combine bad secondary play, costly turnovers, poor pass blocking, inopportune penalties with below average QB play and get a team that has been right in it at the end three weeks in a row. Below average QB play combined with all those things = BLOWOUT losses. To not give Fitz some credit for coming all the way back against Indy to potentially put the team in position to win is silly, and the very next week watching the whole team implode after being up against Pittsburgh (17 points of that implosion of which had NOTHING to do with Fitz). What I think is clear at this point is that without these massive team breakdowns this team is capable of winning with Fitz at the helm. By the way, his quarterback rating is just below 90, not reflective of poor play at all.

 

[thunderkyss]

I don't understand all this clammoring for Mallet. It's like everyone has forgotten that there was a reason why New England dumped him.

remind me what the reason was that had tampa bay dump Steve Young & Bret Favre?

 

[santo]

remind me what the reason was that had tampa bay dump Steve Young & Bret Favre?

Because they were back ups who weren't going to amount to anything?

 

[thunderkyss]

The Titans have already accepted it, maybe we should too.

Titans, Bills, Raiders, Jags..... we should follow their example, do what they do.

 

[santo]

Titans, Bills, Raiders, Jags..... we should follow their example, do what they do.

LOL, I want to go to the playoffs, but honestly I would be more heartbroken if Fitz throws 3 int in the first playoff game and we end up losing. More upset if they do decide to let Mallett go and he becomes a serviceable starter somewhere else.

If we win the Super Bowl with Fitz, I'll start the contribution to make a statue outside of NRG in honor of him.

 

[Hervoyel]

Looking toward the future, they need to find out what they have in Mallet so they can either sign him as the QB going ahead or know what their number one priority should be in the off-season.

I 'expect' nothing from this year's team, and certainly would not expect anything from Mallet other than to see his potential.



Grasping at straws because I think this coaching staff truly believes that they can make the playoffs. While we perceive it as a rebuild, I get the vibe that they do not.



Again, I think the folks at Kirby do not perceive it as such, even with McNair saying it is not a rebuild.

And how do we know that the right one is not on the roster when they are not giving Mallet a chance?

Maybe they see enough in practice, so that is an unknown, but with O'Brien's recent comments to the media that Mallet will play this season, I think they are still evaluating him at this point. Those are the head coach's words to an NFL reporter, so they appear to be prepping to give him a chance at some point. When is that point? Probably when the team is no longer in playoff contention.



It is not about how I feel about Fitzpatrick, but about what he is and has always been for a decade.

This is his fifth team in 10 seasons. What does that say to you? Always everyone else's fault but not his? That's not how this league works.

Okay, so Fitz has a lot of heart, is smart, and now durable. What is missing is the part where he's a consistent QB who can carry this team when they shoot themselves int he foot. He tends to help reload the gun so they can shoot the other foot.



My 'clamoring' is merely to see what he is about so we have an idea going into the 2015 off-season. I do not expect anything from him, because he is an unknown entity right now.

NE dumped him because they have Brady and Mallet was a backup with one season left on his contract. Get something/anything for him while they can sort of thing. It is their M.O. for as long as they have had Brady.


Unfortunately, the Texans are capable of making such a decision. That is my only concern, not for/against Mallet, but just to see if he's worth keeping on the roster in 2015.

This is something I just don't understand. Why do so many people cling to the idea that New England threw Mallet away for some perceived shortcoming? They knew he was going to get paid. Everyone knew he was going to get paid. Brady is not ready to say goodbye and New England wasn't going to be the team to pay Brady and pay Mallet when one of them was going to be sitting. They reloaded with a less expensive but very promising option in Garoppolo who they can affordably let sit behind Brady for a few years.

At the same time the moment they drafted Garoppolo they announced that Mallet was going to hit the market and effectively gutted his trade value because everyone knew that they were almost certain to cut him and keep Garoppolo.

 

[infantrycak]

This is something I just don't understand. Why do so many people cling to the idea that New England threw Mallet away for some perceived shortcoming? They knew he was going to get paid. Everyone knew he was going to get paid. Brady is not ready to say goodbye and New England wasn't going to be the team to pay Brady and pay Mallet when one of them was going to be sitting. They reloaded with a less expensive but very promising option in Garoppolo who they can affordably let sit behind Brady for a few years.

At the same time the moment they drafted Garoppolo they announced that Mallet was going to hit the market and effectively gutted his trade value because everyone knew that they were almost certain to cut him and keep Garoppolo.

It makes absolutely no sense.

 

[TEXANRED]

Pro Football Focus grade and commentary on Fitzpatrick's game Monday night:

Houston Texans – Performances of Note

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB: +4.1

Breakdown: It still isn’t time for Ryan Mallett after Fitzpatrick put in another strong display in defeat for the Texans last night. Under duress for much of the night Fitzpatrick showed poise with some quality throws under pressure leading the Texans back to the brink of a comeback on their final drive.

Signature Stat: Pressured on 20 of his 37 dropbacks, Fitzpatrick earned a +3.2passing grade on those plays completing 8 of 15 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown.

This is why PFF is a useless sight.

Fitzsucksit created a lot of his own pressure by not being able to make a decision and holding onto the ball to long.

 

[thunderkyss]

LOL, I want to go to the playoffs, but honestly I would be more heartbroken if Fitz throws 3 int in the first playoff game and we end up losing. More upset if they do decide to let Mallett go and he becomes a serviceable starter somewhere else.

Looks like OB has made Fitz a "serviceable" starter. Mallet going somewhere else & being a "serviceable" starter wouldn't bother me one bit. We want something better. To win a Super Bowl, we need something better.

Just because I'm calling Fitz "serviceable" doesn't mean I'm on his side. I want him on the bench.... actually, I want him inactive. But he's being asked to be a game manager & he's being a game manager. Game managers don't win when you turn the ball over three times (even when they're responsible for one). Game managers do not put their team on their shoulders & will them to wins.

I want Mallet to start. I want to see if he's a play maker & if he's not, tone it down & see if you can make a game manager out of him, until you're ready to start Savage.

I can understand OB thinking we just needed a game manager before the season started. With all the questions we had; about Arian, about Andre, about Hopkins, about Newton, about Cushing, about Watt..... but most of those questions have been answered in our favor & we should all be expecting more than 8-8.... but that's not going to happen with a game manager.

 

[santo]

Looks like OB has made Fitz a "serviceable" starter. Mallet going somewhere else & being a "serviceable" starter wouldn't bother me one bit. We want something better. To win a Super Bowl, we need something better.

Just because I'm calling Fitz "serviceable" doesn't mean I'm on his side. I want him on the bench.... actually, I want him inactive. But he's being asked to be a game manager & he's being a game manager. Game managers don't win when you turn the ball over three times (even when they're responsible for one). Game managers do not put their team on their shoulders & will them to wins.

I want Mallet to start. I want to see if he's a play maker & if he's not, tone it down & see if you can make a game manager out of him, until you're ready to start Savage.

I can understand OB thinking we just needed a game manager before the season started. With all the questions we had; about Arian, about Andre, about Hopkins, about Newton, about Cushing, about Watt..... but most of those questions have been answered in our favor & we should all be expecting more than 8-8.... but that's not going to happen with a game manager.

Maybe what I meant by serviceable was qb's like Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger, heck even Alex Smith and pre-injury Matt Schaub. Guys that at least help their team win more than they do to lose. Fitz I see as a serviceable back-up, meaning he should not be playing unless your 1 and 2 qb can't go.

 

[thunderkyss]

Maybe what I meant by serviceable was qb's like Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger, heck even Alex Smith and pre-injury Matt Schaub. Guys that at least help their team win more than they do to lose. Fitz I see as a serviceable back-up, meaning he should not be playing unless your 1 and 2 qb can't go.

Yeah, when I think of "serviceable" I think of guys like Russell Wilson, Collin Kaepernick, & pre-injury Griffin III.

 

[Playoffs]

This is something I just don't understand. Why do so many people cling to the idea that New England threw Mallet away for some perceived shortcoming? They knew he was going to get paid. Everyone knew he was going to get paid. Brady is not ready to say goodbye and New England wasn't going to be the team to pay Brady and pay Mallet when one of them was going to be sitting. They reloaded with a less expensive but very promising option in Garoppolo who they can affordably let sit behind Brady for a few years.

At the same time the moment they drafted Garoppolo they announced that Mallet was going to hit the market and effectively gutted his trade value because everyone knew that they were almost certain to cut him and keep Garoppolo.

Yep, SOP with Tom Terrific.

 

[steelbtexan]

I always though it was a rebuild year myself, so to characterize "grasping at straws with Fitz" is inaccurate.

I thought it was a given to everyone that since this IS a rebuilding year, Fitz is nothing more than a caretaker QB until the right one comes along. And the right one is NOT currently on the team.

The only way OB even considers putting Mallett in is if Fitz gets hurt. And you can feel about Fitz any way you wish, but he has proven to very durable, unlike that fragile POS Clowney, so I wouldn't count on it.

I don't understand all this clammoring for Mallet. It's like everyone has forgotten that there was a reason why New England dumped him.

How do you know for certain the right QB isn't on this team?

How do you know Clowney is a POS? He didn't seem to be a POS in training camp. IMHO Can you shed some light? Do you know him personally? Or is it he got hurt and you don't like that? Because if that's the case I guess Cushing is a POS.?Foster was a POS last yr? Just wondering what your definition of a POS is?

 

[infantrycak]

Yeah, when I think of "serviceable" I think of guys like Russell Wilson, Collin Kaepernick, & pre-injury Griffin III.

Then why did you mention Fitz as serviceable. He isn't in the same league as any of those guys (both literally and figuratively, or at least won't be as a starter for much longer).

 

[thunderkyss]

Then why did you mention Fitz as serviceable. He isn't in the same league as any of those guys (both literally and figuratively, or at least won't be as a starter for much longer).

I was being facetious. I think Flacco, Roethlisberger, & a healthy Schaub are more than just "serviceable"

 

[infantrycak]

I was being facetious. I think Flacco, Roethlisberger, & a healthy Schaub are more than just "serviceable"

OK, gotcha.

 

[Marcus]

Or is it he's ALWAYS hurt and you don't like that?

Ding Ding Ding . . . . give the man a see-gar!

My definition of POS is someone not getting it done and getting paid like he is. He's been injured ever since being drafted. In the past four months, he's undergone surgery for a hernia, suffered a concussion, and now tops the list with his knee injury. What's next?

I've yet to see him get through an entire game without getting hurt. I don't much care anymore what he can bring to the team. I'll just be happy that he can actually get through the game. How bout that for a drop of expectations?

 

[Hervoyel]

Ding Ding Ding . . . . give the man a see-gar!

My definition of POS is someone not getting it done and getting paid like he is. He's been injured ever since being drafted. In the past four months, he's undergone surgery for a hernia, suffered a concussion, and now tops the list with his knee injury. What's next?

I've yet to see him get through an entire game without getting hurt. I don't much care anymore what he can bring to the team. I'll just be happy that he can actually get through the game. How bout that for a drop of expectations?

Essentially at this point it's like we just selected "Nobody" with the first overall pick of the draft. Bad luck? Maybe but right now it sure hurts to watch. If Mettenberger gets it done like I think he will then the AFC South will be a division of young promising QB's (Luck, Bortles, and Mettenberger) and the Texans will have had a shot at 2 out of 3 of them but passed. Again, that's a big "If" but if that comes to pass it will be pretty tough to feel good about it and it will be even worse if Clowney ends up being the man of glass he's seemed to be so far.

 

[Mr teX]

I really couldn't GAS whether Mallet plays any this season--he's not the long-term answer--so long as they don't do this.

The long-term answer is not on the roster at this point.

This is a very underrated point in all of this discussion to play him now. The most likely scenario is that Mallett plays middle of the road alternating being a smidgeon above average to slightly below average. Even if we were happy with this and OB came out and declared him the starter going into the 2015 season, he still has to be resigned. What's more is that even with this type of performance he could still have the likes of Tenn, Buff, NYJ and TB courting him with a crazy deal to come in and be their day 1 starter. Do we really want this organization..more specifically Rick Smith to again make the decision on whether or not to wager our immediate future on a middling qb by offering an above average contract to a player who could honestly go either way on the performance scale once we commit?


or should we do everything to try to make him commit to us while also keeping an eye on the future with Savage and future prospect in the 2015 draft?

I mean we are just gonna be coming out of the salary cap mess the Schaub extension created for us. We can't afford to be wrong at this position anymore if we resign this kid based on average play and the following season he falls off as teams get tape on him.

 

[infantrycak]

This is a very underrated point in all of this discussion to play him now. The most likely scenario is that Mallett plays middle of the road alternating being a smidgeon above average to slightly below average. Even if we were happy with this and OB came out and declared him the starter going into the 2015 season, he still has to be resigned. Do we really want this organization to again wager their immediate future on a middling qb by offering an above average contract to a player who could honestly go either way on the performance scale once we commit?

or should we do everything to try to make him commit to us while also keeping an eye on the future with Savage and future prospect in the 2015 draft?

I mean we are just gonna be coming out of the salary cap mess the Schaub extension created for us. We can't afford to be wrong at this position anymore if we resign this kid based on average play and the following season he falls off as teams get tape on him.

The wager has better odds the more time he gets to play this year.

He'd be an absolute fool to sign any commitment to us at non-market prices which would be at least as much as Fitz/Henne.

 

[Hervoyel]

You can't fault him for something he hasn't done yet and you'll never know if he's going to give us average play and a middling performance if he never gets off the sideline.

Waiting around watching Fitz not lead the Texans to comebacks is bad enough.

Not being interested in playing a guy you genuinely need solid information on before you invest anything in him long term because you think Fitz might suddenly start leading his team to more wins than losses for the first time in 10 years is insane.

Think of it this way. If you send Fitz out there every week the season is lost. If you send Mallet out there for the last 3-4 weeks to face the eliminated Jags twice, probably a couple of teams that clinched already in the Ravens and Colts, you're not going to learn crap and come 2015 there will indeed be enough film on Mallet for teams to begin really preparing for him.

If you run him out there right now then yes, the season may also be lost but you'll have a big enough sample to know whether you even need to consider signing him past this year and you'll get to see him play against teams that do have enough film to prepare for him properly.

 

[Mr teX]

The wager has better odds the more time he gets to play this year.

He'd be an absolute fool to sign any commitment to us at non-market prices which would be at least as much as Fitz/Henne.

Not really. If he plays even remotely well his price goes up and more qb needy teams come courting him FA...which puts more pressure on us to sign him. Apart from that, he'd be more of a fool not to take some of the money that would be thrown at him ala Matt Flynn. Furthermore, our salary cap situation puts us in a bind already, so in essence he'd be half way out the door already.

The kid wants a real opportunity to start...probably almost as bad as he wants to really get paid. The committment he shows to us is #1, resigning with us at a fair deal for what he's done to date...which wouldn't be much if his play is just average. In return we give him a guarantee of sorts from BoB and/or McNair that he gets an open and honest competition for the starters role in 2015...Something he's never really had in NE or here.

 

[santo]

You can't fault him for something he hasn't done yet and you'll never know if he's going to give us average play and a middling performance if he never gets off the sideline.

Waiting around watching Fitz not lead the Texans to comebacks is bad enough.

Not being interested in playing a guy you genuinely need solid information on before you invest anything in him long term because you think Fitz might suddenly start leading his team to more wins than losses for the first time in 10 years is insane.

Think of it this way. If you send Fitz out there every week the season is lost. If you send Mallet out there for the last 3-4 weeks to face the eliminated Jags twice, probably a couple of teams that clinched already in the Ravens and Colts, you're not going to learn crap and come 2015 there will indeed be enough film on Mallet for teams to begin really preparing for him.

If you run him out there right now then yes, the season may also be lost but you'll have a big enough sample to know whether you even need to consider signing him past this year and you'll get to see him play against teams that do have enough film to prepare for him properly.

Don't bother arguing. It seems some people have made up their mind on how Mallett will perform without seeing him play. And I agree, the longer we wait, the less of a sample size in games we get.
I don't think anybody here is saying he's the next Tom Brady, Steve Young, Brett Favre, but we won't know until he starts and is given a chance to prove he is a starter.

 

[infantrycak]

Not really. If he plays even remotely well his price goes up and more qb needy teams come courting him FA...which puts more pressure on us to sign him. Apart from that, he'd be more of a fool not to take some of the money that would be thrown at him ala Matt Flynn. Furthermore, our salary cap situation puts us in a bind already, so in essence he'd be half way out the door already.

The kid wants a real opportunity to start...probably almost as bad as he wants to really get paid. The committment he shows to us is #1, resigning with us at a fair deal for what he's done to date...which wouldn't be much if his play is just average. In return we give him a guarantee of sorts from BoB and/or McNair that he gets an open and honest competition for the starters role in 2015...Something he's never really had in NE or here.

I didn't say he would play poorly on purpose. I said he'd be a fool to sign with us for anything below market. And in your scenario you are asking for a "commitment" from him while at the same time drafting someone else. I think most would see that as a one sided commitment.

But let's face it, you're just canoodling to come up with any argument to delay his starting.

 

[Mr teX]

You can't fault him for something he hasn't done yet and you'll never know if he's going to give us average play and a middling performance if he never gets off the sideline.

It's not faulting him it's simply playing the odds based on what you know. & BoB of all people knows those odds better than any of us since he sees this guy everyday in practice.

Waiting around watching Fitz not lead the Texans to comebacks is bad enough.

The future of the franchise has nothing to do with Fitz; everyone knew or should've knew this going in..including BoB. This season is what it is, the team isn't very good.

Not being interested in playing a guy you genuinely need solid information on before you invest anything in him long term because you think Fitz might suddenly start leading his team to more wins than losses for the first time in 10 years is insane.

For all the ragging we don't on coaches in the NFL, these guys don't get to the top spot b/c they don't know what they're looking at. As i said above, BoB sees Mallett everyday in practice, if he's not starting, there's a reason why he believes he's not ready.

Think of it this way. If you send Fitz out there every week the season is lost. If you send Mallet out there for the last 3-4 weeks to face the eliminated Jags twice, probably a couple of teams that clinched already in the Ravens and Colts, you're not going to learn crap and come 2015 there will indeed be enough film on Mallet for teams to begin really preparing for him.

If you run him out there right now then yes, the season may also be lost but you'll have a big enough sample to know whether you even need to consider signing him past this year and you'll get to see him play against teams that do have enough film to prepare for him properly.

This has nothing to do with Fitz & this season..Not sure why you keep bringing him up. You know what this team is 7 games into the season and if you're being honest, starting Mallet doesn't project to change its projected course either. Which is why to me there really isn't much to be gained other than being satisfied to watch someone else under center make game losing plays in another fashion different from Fitz. In fact, you really stand to lose more in the event that Mallet plays half way decent b/c at that point he's gonna be looking to cash in...and that could be here..or somewhere else that can offer him a starting slot to go with that contract.

 

[Mr teX]

I didn't say he would play poorly on purpose. I said he'd be a fool to sign with us for anything below market. And in your scenario you are asking for a "commitment" from him while at the same time drafting someone else. I think most would see that as a one sided commitment.

But let's face it, you're just canoodling to come up with any argument to delay his starting.

& you're wishing on a star and clicking your heels hoping and praying that he's our guy with absolutely nothing to point to that says he'll be any better than what's currently under center.

& where did i ever say he'd sign for something below market? A fair offer for a guy with next to no starting experience is still an upgrade in pay for him coming from the back up role to a starter. Plus he gets to come into camp as the incumbent for the 1st time in his career with a leg up on the competition. He wins all the way around. & I didn't say we had to draft a qb in the 1st.

 

[badboy]

I'm Going to have to say that Newton has played up to his 2013 season par. He was continually getting beat. I was starting to get on his side but the old habits starting showing up again.

This among other problems reared their ugly head. Once you hit the Texans with a round house they don't seem to be able to recover. Most teams take the hit, clinch, and then regroup. I am frustrated with the play they have been exhibiting.

So much potential, so wasted!

I think we did clinch once but drew a personal flag for holding.

 

[Mr teX]

Don't bother arguing. It seems some people have made up their mind on how Mallett will perform without seeing him play. And I agree, the longer we wait, the less of a sample size in games we get.
I don't think anybody here is saying he's the next Tom Brady, Steve Young, Brett Favre, but we won't know until he starts and is given a chance to prove he is a starter.

Lol, it seems like i saw this same post from the likes of folks like you last year about Keenum...how's the saying go "the back up qb is always the most popular guy on the team"...that is until he plays.

I wonder where all the "trade for Kurt Cousins" folks are right about now...seems like they disappeared overnight..

 

[infantrycak]

& you're wishing on a star and clicking your heels hoping and praying that he's our guy with absolutely nothing to point to that says he'll be any better than what's currently under center.

You've got some word choice issues. There's nothing wrong with wishing for the best with or without evidence. It's a wish. I wish Fitz had jumped into this system like a duck who had finally found water. Instead, he's a 30 year old who still needs floaties.

Now on predictions, my expectations are very low, kind of Keenum like (and ultimately because I saw enough of him I thought Keenum wasn't the answer) - more highlight moments, less game manager, results may vary. There is not nothing to go on (higher draft selection with the reviews to have gone even higher in the 1st, more experience in the system and monumentally stronger arm) but no, it's not a whole lot hence the low expectations. But the exercise of knowing is valuable in and of itself.

 

[badboy]

You can't fault him for something he hasn't done yet and you'll never know if he's going to give us average play and a middling performance if he never gets off the sideline.

Waiting around watching Fitz not lead the Texans to comebacks is bad enough.

Not being interested in playing a guy you genuinely need solid information on before you invest anything in him long term because you think Fitz might suddenly start leading his team to more wins than losses for the first time in 10 years is insane.

Think of it this way. If you send Fitz out there every week the season is lost. If you send Mallet out there for the last 3-4 weeks to face the eliminated Jags twice, probably a couple of teams that clinched already in the Ravens and Colts, you're not going to learn crap and come 2015 there will indeed be enough film on Mallet for teams to begin really preparing for him.

If you run him out there right now then yes, the season may also be lost but you'll have a big enough sample to know whether you even need to consider signing him past this year and you'll get to see him play against teams that do have enough film to prepare for him properly.

Koch and Kalu on radio were discussing this yesterday and ND said Mallett is evidently not showing in practice a reason to give a chance in game.

 

[Bulls on Parade]

Rookie Zach Mettenberger, who started this season as a third-string quarterback, will start at quarterback for the Tennessee Titans against the Texans on Sunday. While Ryan Mallett, says he is ready to play and it's up to the coaches. The Titans are not a good team and I expect the Texans to beat them even with Ryan Fitzpatrick starting but what's that going to prove? It would just delay the inevitable. We'll be a 4-4 team that desperately needs a home win over the Eagles to fight our way back into the final wild card race.

Now what if Zach Mettenberger slices up our defense and beats us as a rookie? We'll be wondering why we didn't draft that guy? How about Austin Davis from the Rams? Apparently he "wowed" Brett Favre recently. The kid came out of nowhere but he needed a few guys ahead of him on the depth chart to be injured. Do we need Ryan Fitzpatrick to tear an ACL or something to jump start our future? I'm being sarcastic but seriously is Bill O'Brien going to allow our season to slowly go down the drain? We can win with any type of spark from the quarterback position. The poster named Speedy said it best a few weeks ago, "Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't it".

 

[santo]

Lol, it seems like i saw this same post from the likes of folks like you last year about Keenum...how's the saying go "the back up qb is always the most popular guy on the team"...that is until he plays.

I wonder where all the "trade for Kurt Cousins" folks are right about now...seems like they disappeared overnight..

Yes, I was one of them and I admit I was hoping for Keenum to make it, but at least I got to see him play to say he was not an option as a starter. We're basically in the same situation as we were last year, except this time Foster is helping out the qb much more than last year and Watt has been helping score points as well.
All I'm saying is that you can't judge a player by just watching him on the sideline or base his college performance and automatically assume it will not translate to the NFL.

 

[False Start]

I have just accepted that whether I like it or not, barring injury Fitz is going to be the starter for the remainder of the season.

 

[Mr teX]

You've got some word choice issues. There's nothing wrong with wishing for the best with or without evidence. It's a wish. I wish Fitz had jumped into this system like a duck who had finally found water. Instead, he's a 30 year old who still needs floaties.

Now on predictions, my expectations are very low, kind of Keenum like - more highlight moments, less game manager, results may vary. There is not nothing to go on (higher draft selection with the reviews to have gone even higher in the 1st, more experience in the system and monumentally stronger arm) but no, it's not a whole lot hence the low expectations. But the exercise of knowing is valuable in and of itself.

Cak, we butt heads very little & i respect your posts..but the bolded is where we can agree to disagree b/c this value to be gained by knowing isn't for the team, right now its purely for the fans. The guy charged with knowing and making that decision has already knows.

 

[infantrycak]

Cak, we butt heads very little & i respect your posts..but the bolded is where we can agree to disagree b/c this value to be gained by knowing isn't for the team, right now its purely for the fans. The guy charged with knowing and making that decision has already knows.

Unless you are going to argue practice is the same as real games I don't see how you can argue this. Is that what you're saying?

 

[Mr teX]

Unless you are going to argue practice is the same as real games I don't see how you can argue this. Is that what you're saying?

No, im saying that the guy who sees him in practice everyday doesn't believe that he's shown enough in practice to even warrant being able to handle an actual game where the intensity is ramped up. & if he doesn't believe in the kid in practice, kinda hard to believe he can be successful in a game scenario..or unlikely to be successful anyway.

 

[xtruroyaltyx]

No, im saying that the guy who sees him in practice everyday doesn't believe that he's shown enough in practice to even warrant being able to handle an actual game where the intensity is ramped up. & if he doesn't believe in the kid in practice, kinda hard to believe he can be successful in a game scenario..or unlikely to be successful anyway.

This is really not an uncommon scenario.

During the season back ups don't get a whole lot of time to prove themselves. It's not like Mallett has had a bunch of opportunities to impress. Starters always get the majority of the reps and on top of that, there are not as many practices during the season to get to show anything.

I played football for a long time. There were numerous times where I as a player could tell that there were more talented players sitting behind other players that were starters or played more. And sometimes when they ot their chance they proved it.

There are not many absolutes with talent evaluation. Especially at the NFL level where everyone has some talent. Even when a guy is sitting right under your nose. You can have your beliefs, and believe strongly about it. But you really just never know until a guy proves himself.

Maybe Mallett is not impressing in the limited reps he's getting. But really that doesn't have to be the case to keep him on the bench. Coaches are people too. They get comfortable with things. They don't always want to just switch things up even though what is happening isn't working.

Sometimes it takes the starter to get injured or to just simply hit rock bottom and start overtly sucking and costing games before the coach will actually give a back-up a chance. Especially when it comes to QB's.

 

[thunderkyss]

Essentially at this point it's like we just selected "Nobody" with the first overall pick of the draft. Bad luck? Maybe but right now it sure hurts to watch. If Mettenberger gets it done like I think he will then the AFC South will be a division of young promising QB's (Luck, Bortles, and Mettenberger) and the Texans will have had a shot at 2 out of 3 of them but passed. Again, that's a big "If" but if that comes to pass it will be pretty tough to feel good about it and it will be even worse if Clowney ends up being the man of glass he's seemed to be so far.

So you don't think Savage is in the same "talent" class as Bortles & Mettenberger?

 

[thunderkyss]

Do we really want this organization..more specifically Rick Smith to again make the decision on whether or not to wager our immediate future on a middling qb by offering an above average contract to a player who could honestly go either way on the performance scale once we commit?

What do you consider "an above average contract" Regardless how good he plays in 10 games, I don't think he'll get a contract big enough to really affect our immediate future. The best he's going to see would be a Josh McCown type deal... two year $10M, with a $2M signing bonus. A little more than what we're paying Fitzpatrick.

That's not going to stop us from drafting a QB in the first round any more than signing Fitzpatrick did.

 

[DocBar]

What do you consider "an above average contract" Regardless how good he plays in 10 games, I don't think he'll get a contract big enough to really affect our immediate future. The best he's going to see would be a Josh McCown type deal... two year $10M, with a $2M signing bonus. A little more than what we're paying Fitzpatrick.

That's not going to stop us from drafting a QB in the first round any more than signing Fitzpatrick did.

Um...which QB did the Texans draft in the 1st round again? David Carr was waaay before Fitz....