Chronicle: The Mallett/Hoyer Competition

[Playoffs]

Houston Passing
            C/ATT    YDS   AVG   TD   INT  SACKS  Passer RTG
T. Savage    8/14    97    6.9    1    0    0-0    102.4
R. Mallett  10/11    90    8.2    0    0    0-0    100.8
B. Hoyer      2/4    67   16.8    1    0    0-0    135.4

Team        20/29    254

 

[Number19]

Brian Smith had a sentence in this morning's column, in which he stated that Mallett limped off the field at the conclusion of the half and was not on the sidelines to start the second half. Anything more than just being banged up a little?

 

[Playoffs]

Brian Smith had a sentence in this morning's column, in which he stated that Mallett limped off the field at the conclusion of the half and was not on the sidelines to start the second half. Anything more than just being banged up a little?

Apparently not. I noticed the limp, too... maybe from that sneak?

Mal was late back to the field for second half... had to drop a brown shark.

 

[EVOLVIST]

WTF?

Damned autocorrect! Haha!

 

[Bulls on Parade]

Brian Hoyer looked very good in limited play last night.
Led us on an 8-point drive. Two beautiful passes. Easy scores.

Jaelen Strong beasted with Tom Savage out there. That TD catch was nice.
I want to see more Strong playing with Hoyer. Also more Strong on Hard Knocks.

Ryan Mallett put up "David Carr on a good day" type of numbers. No TDs hurt. He can complete 12 or 15 passes in a row. If it leads to no Touchdowns then it's a wasted drive to me. We can dink and dunk our way to another 9-7 season with a guy like Ryan Fitzpatrick starting games. No thanks. Show me that big arm big boy!!!!!

 

[Mollywhopper]

Brian Hoyer looked very good in limited play last night.
Led us on an 8-point drive. Two beautiful passes. Easy scores.

Ryan Mallett put up "David Carr on a good day" type of numbers. No TDs hurt. He can complete 12 or 15 passes in a row. If it leads to no Touchdowns then it's a wasted drive to me. We can dink and dunk our way to another 9-7 season with a guy like Ryan Fitzpatrick starting games. No thanks. Show me that big arm big boy!!!!!

So Shorts catches and sprints for a td and so good on Hoyer's beautiful passes, but Mallett effeciently commands the offense with the running game unable to convert from the goal line and so he's "David Carr on a good day"?

Wow.

 

[WolverineFan]

I don't know about all that, Mallet looked pretty damn good to me. Hoyer 2 of 4 with a td. That shorts break away for a td was hardly Hoyers doing.

Savage though did look good, kid showed some guts and fire he is also more mobile than I thought he was.

After the catch was all Shorts but Hoyer threaded it in between the LB and S and put the ball in the perfect spot for Shorts to catch it in stride. If Mallett makes that pass this board crowns him in .01 seconds.

I'm not advocating for Hoyer to start. I want the best guy. If that's Hoyer fine. If that's Mallett fine. But the double standard on this board is so ridiculous.

 

[Bulls on Parade]

If Ryan Mallett threw a TD, even if it's more YAC on a WR's part, I'd give him praise just the same. Fact is we didn't score a Touchdown when he was in the game last night. I could care less how many completions he has or how he ran the offense.

I remember when David Carr once completed 22 passes in a row for very minimal yardage. Mallett was on that type of pace last night. At the time it was close to an NFL record until Mark Brunell tied it against us when he played with the Redskins.

I judge our offense based on production and to me that is scoring Touchdowns, not field goals or punting, and certainly not yardage.

 

[WolverineFan]

Brian Hoyer looked very good in limited play last night.
Led us on an 8-point drive. Two beautiful passes. Easy scores.

Jaelen Strong beasted with Tom Savage out there. That TD catch was nice.
I want to see more Strong playing with Hoyer. Also more Strong on Hard Knocks.

Ryan Mallett put up "David Carr on a good day" type of numbers. No TDs hurt. He can complete 12 or 15 passes in a row. If it leads to no Touchdowns then it's a wasted drive to me. We can dink and dunk our way to another 9-7 season with a guy like Ryan Fitzpatrick starting games. No thanks. Show me that big arm big boy!!!!!

Not scoring is not on Mallett. He got them down the field but OB wanted to work on the goal line offense (for very good reason obviously).

 

[Mollywhopper]

If Ryan Mallett threw a TD, even if it's more YAC on a WR's part, I'd give him praise just the same. Fact is we didn't score a Touchdown when he was in the game last night. I could care less how many completions he has or how he ran the offense.

I remember when David Carr once completed 22 passes in a row for very minimal yardage. Mallett was on that type of pace last night. At the time it was close to an NFL record until Mark Brunell tied it against us when he played with the Redskins.

I judge our offense based on production and to me that is scoring Touchdowns, not field goals or punting, and certainly not yardage.

So if a running back had punched it in from the one then Mallett would have had a better game to you?

 

[Bulls on Parade]

So if a running back had punched it in from the one then Mallett would have had a better game to you?

Our offense would have been more productive so I'd have to say yes. I know we failed using every running back in that situation. Maybe Bill O'Brien would have called a passing play in a regular-season game. Probably uses J.J. Watt as a Tight end. Remember that TD catch Watt had from Mallett at Cleveland last year?

 

[Mollywhopper]

Our offense would have been more productive so I'd have to say yes.

That is completely irrational.

 

[Bulls on Parade]

Not scoring is not on Mallett. He got them down the field but OB wanted to work on the goal line offense (for very good reason obviously).

Against a new-look 49ers defense which is practically in rebuild mode after they lost a lot of impact players this off-season. Three of which were All Pro caliber. Even their first-string defense doesn't look as good these days. I'd have expected our first-string offense to put up a TD or two. I wasn't surprised when our second and third-string offense out-played their second and third-string defense.

 

[EllisUnit]

After the catch was all Shorts but Hoyer threaded it in between the LB and S and put the ball in the perfect spot for Shorts to catch it in stride. If Mallett makes that pass this board crowns him in .01 seconds.

I'm not advocating for Hoyer to start. I want the best guy. If that's Hoyer fine. If that's Mallett fine. But the double standard on this board is so ridiculous.

My whole point was Hoyer was working with the talent. Mallett not so much, yet mallett was still 10 of 11

 

[WolverineFan]

My whole point was Hoyer was working with the talent. Mallett not so much, yet mallett was still 10 of 11

And my whole point was that most on this board consistently go out of their way to diminish whatever Hoyer has done while making it a point to highlight Mallett. It was a beautiful pass (on a rope). Just give the guy props and move on. Mallett gets the 1's next week and we'll see what he can do.

 

[infantrycak]

After the catch was all Shorts but Hoyer threaded it in between the LB and S and put the ball in the perfect spot for Shorts to catch it in stride. If Mallett makes that pass this board crowns him in .01 seconds.

I'm not advocating for Hoyer to start. I want the best guy. If that's Hoyer fine. If that's Mallett fine. But the double standard on this board is so ridiculous.

I'm going to say you have developed a double standard because you are trying so hard to yell double standard. Threaded shouldn't be in a description of that play. Shorts, as the commentators noted, was wide freaking open.

It was a nice accurate pass.

I remember when David Carr once completed 22 passes in a row for very minimal yardage. Mallett was on that type of pace last night.

Not even close. Mallett was at 8.2 ypa last night. That would have been good for 3rd in the league last season. Not dink and dunk.

Carr FYI was at 6.2 ypa.

 

[Bulls on Parade]

That is completely irrational.

It's irrational to judge our offensive production based on how many Touchdowns they can score? What on earth do you want to have then? A pat on the back for a field goal or even a sigh of relief every time we punt and don't turn the ball over? Or let's just feel good when we moved the ball the length of the field and picked up yards. Against a defense which quite frankly shouldn't be as good as they have over the last handful of years when they were one of the best in the league.

 

[infantrycak]

It's irrational to judge our offensive production based on how many Touchdowns they can score?

It's irrational to see a HC call 4 straight running plays and then blame the QB.

 

[Bulls on Parade]

It's irrational to see a HC call 4 straight running plays and then blame the QB.

Nobody is blaming the QB. I compared Mallett's performance last night to one of David Carr's best. Not to say he'd have completed 22 passes in a row but it reminded me of that. He would have had the same type of yardage at the yards per pass rate he was going. Not sure how mollywhopper is twisting my words. A TD would have made the drive more of a success to me but I never blamed Ryan Mallett at all. All I did was praise Hoyer and Savage for playing well at the same time. You want me to say Mallett played well too? Fine, he did.

 

[Mollywhopper]

It's irrational to judge our offensive production based on how many Touchdowns they can score? What on earth do you want to have then? A pat on the back for a field goal or even a sigh of relief every time we punt and don't turn the ball over? Or let's just feel good when we moved the ball the length of the field and picked up yards. Against a defense which quite frankly shouldn't be as good as they have over the last handful of years when they were one of the best in the league.

It's irrational to judge the qb's production on the rb's play.

 

[EllisUnit]

And my whole point was that most on this board consistently go out of their way to diminish whatever Hoyer has done while making it a point to highlight Mallett. It was a beautiful pass (on a rope). Just give the guy props and move on. Mallett gets the 1's next week and we'll see what he can do.

I simply don't have faith in Hoyer based on what he has done in his NFL career. He appears to have a few bad plays and loses Confidence from what I've seen. Who knows OB could turn it around for him. I'm skeptical though.

 

[infantrycak]

Nobody is blaming the QB. I compared Mallett's performance last night to one of David Carr's best. Not to say he'd have completed 22 passes in a row but it reminded me of that. He would have had the same type of yardage at the yards per pass rate he was going.

As I pointed out above, that's false. Mallett was at 8.2 ypa which is excellent. Carr was at 6.2 ypa which sucks.

 

[Texecutioner]

Tom Savage is a career back up. Discussing him as a starter is a waste of time.

Mallet and Hoyer is the question. Mallet looked fine out there. The coaching staff had some horrible play calls that ended his drives. He made several throws that were just fine and moved the ball. His coaches calling a QB sneak play on 3rd and 4 are the types of things that work against him that people who watched the game should have seen. The Texans only gave him one pass play which he completed at the end of that first drive which was stopped on the 4th down conversion that didn't happen. Mallet completed that pass though which got them from a yard of a 1st down. Hoyer getting a pass where Shorts ran a long YAC for a TD and not going back in, made Hoyer look a lot better when you just look at the #'s, but Hoyer didn't get back out there to have drives stopped a few times for similar reasons potentially. Of course he could have scored again as well possibly, but not with the way the coaches called certain plays like QB sneak on 3rd and 4.

I still think that OB goes with Hoyer and that he has likely felt that was from the start unless Mallet significantly can surpass him and that is what he wants to see.

 

[xtruroyaltyx]

From the bit I saw mallet looked to me like he looked in Cleveland last year.

 

[thunderkyss]

That is completely irrational.

Stupid was the word I was thinking of.

 

[Vance87]

From the bit I saw mallet looked to me like he looked in Cleveland last year.

That's exactly what I thought.

 

[Marcus]

I understand those who don't want Hoyer based upon what he's done previously in his career. I get that.
So, I understand the desire for Mallet to get the job, just to see if he has what it takes. I get that, also.

Something that I do not get, is that it seems like some are dismissive of Savage's performance last night, based strictly on his performance last year as a rookie. What I saw from Savage last night was something completely different from what I observed last year, preseason or regular. Yes, I know he came into a game totally unprepared last season, I remember that, but I see no reason to hang that over his head going forward.

There is something that bothers me about Mallet. How is it that someone so tall can get his passes batted down? Yes, I know he played good, and both he Savage had passes batted down, but I've been hearing that he gets them passed batted down in camp. Along with him throwing stupid interceptions in camp, it makes me wonder how much he really sees the field.

Savage however displayed surprisingly good pocket awareness, and surprisingly good ability to evade pressure and still look downfield after he ran. And why was Savage the only one who threw it deep?

 

[Marcus]

Tom Savage is a career back up. Discussing him as a starter is a waste of time.

Why would it be a waste of time?

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

Not even close. Mallett was at 8.2 ypa last night. That would have been good for 3rd in the league last season. Not dink and dunk.

Carr FYI was at 6.2 ypa.

The knock on Mallet in the past including in OTAs has been his struggling with accuracy and touch on the short passes...................10 of 11 completions averaging in that type of distance and in general with very nice touch makes you believe he may be overcoming his deficiencies.

 

[JCTexan]

It's irrational to judge our offensive production based on how many Touchdowns they can score? What on earth do you want to have then? A pat on the back for a field goal or even a sigh of relief every time we punt and don't turn the ball over? Or let's just feel good when we moved the ball the length of the field and picked up yards. Against a defense which quite frankly shouldn't be as good as they have over the last handful of years when they were one of the best in the league.

It's irrational to judge Hoyer based on one throw, especially when Shorts had a lot of YAC on that play. Otherwise, Hoyer was 1-3 with 9 yards passing. It's also irrational to judge Mallett based on the RB's not being able to score from the 1 yard-line with about 10 rushing attempts to do so. He was 10-11 with 90 yards passing.

I thought all three QB's looked good. I don't really have a dog in the fight but based on this one game, I would give the edge to Mallett. He looked poised and was able to move the team down field.

 

[bah007]

Pocket awareness, check. Delivery slow - everything else a little slow, too. But all of these things can be greatly corrected with time. Yeah, Savage appears to have all of the tools. But the understanding of the offense, and his ball placement are the biggest things I can commend him on...THAT and standing tall in the pocket: his fearlessness. This isn't a shrieking violet, this kid.

Actually, one of the knocks on Savage coming into the draft was that he is too willing to stand and the pocket. I love his fearlessness, but he has to get the ball out quicker. Arm has never been an issue. He was a sack machine in college. He's slow with everything right now but with more reps I think he'll speed up. He did look much more comfortable in the offense.

...Not even close. Mallett was at 8.2 ypa last night. That would have been good for 3rd in the league last season. Not dink and dunk.

Carr FYI was at 6.2 ypa.

Mallett was throwing underneath on all his completions. He got a lot of YAC from the receivers. The YPA is inflated because of that (and the small sample size). There's nothing wrong with that. Take what's there if they are giving it to you. But it was dink and dunk. That's not a criticism (from me at least).

I simply don't have faith in Hoyer based on what he has done in his NFL career. He appears to have a few bad plays and loses Confidence from what I've seen. Who knows OB could turn it around for him. I'm skeptical though.

We're all cheering for Mallett to win the job. It's obvious though that the majority of this board can't set aside their emotions when it comes to the Texans. There is a large group of people here who care more about Mallett winning the job than they do about the best player winning the job.

I agree with your take on Hoyer, FWIW.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

Reading this article, I have to wonder how fair the reporting is.............and, if this is really what's going on, how "unbiased" the evaluation of the competition has been all along.

Brian T. Smith
O'Brien doth protest too much about starting QB
By Brian T. Smith

August 15, 2015 Updated: August 15, 2015 11:52pm

Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett (15) was 10-of-11 for 90 yards in relief of Brian Hoyer, but he couldn't get his team into the end zone.
Brian Hoyer's not the starter yet, right?

Hmm. Yeah. Could've fooled me.

Because Hoyer played, acted, led and rested exactly like an NFL starting quarterback Saturday, as the Texans opened their semi-real 2015 football season with a 23-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at NRG Stadium.

Hoyer ran the first team during pregame workout drills. He took the Texans' first offensive snap of the contest. He guided the first scoring drive. And after the seventh-year pro went 2-of-4 for 67 yards and a sharp 135.4 passer rating - including a preseason-perfect, 58-yard bullet for a touchdown to wide receiver Cecil Shorts - during the Texans' initial series, the QB who obviously isn't the starter never took the field again.

"We got into a rhythm, and that's one thing we have to do," coach Bill O'Brien said. "As simple as it sounds, with our offense, we have to get that first first down on a drive."

No. 2 slinger Ryan Mallett got the next four series. Hoyer got a red ballcap and the bench, chatting up offensive coordinator George Godsey and third-stringer Tom Savage, while Mallett went 10-of-11 for 90 yards, a 100.8 rating and no points. And when Mallett limped off the field at the end of the first half and wasn't seen on the sideline as the third quarter began, Savage took over, while Hoyer watched the slow conclusion just like a starter would.

"It was good to get out there and play with my teammates for the first time in front of the crowd, in this stadium," said Hoyer, who bounced toward the Texans' locker room postgame, shoulder-bumped a teammate and turned his cap backward. "I was anxious all day. I just wanted to get out here and play."

For months, O'Brien swore by an old-school quarterback competition that would last as long as it took until the team discovered The One. For months, Hoyer's done everything that matters first. He received the larger contract during free agency. He got the initial snaps during OTAs. He received the primary offensive calls when training camp began. And during an otherwise meaningless game Saturday - which was preceded by O'Brien asking the media and fans not to read anything into who played when with whom - Hoyer was treated just like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck and every other locked-in No. 1 who's just killing time while waiting for the real thing to finally begin.

Which is fine if Hoyer's officially the starter. Except he's not - yet.

"I wasn't sure," said Hoyer, referring to how long he'd play. "With Billy, you just stay on your toes - you never know what's coming."

The Texans were so secretive leading up to the 49ers that O'Brien refused to reveal whether Hoyer or Mallett would get the ball first. It may have been the only time in NFL history that the true identity of a first-game preseason starter was safeguarded by the National Security Agency. It'll probably be the last. But it was so important to the Texans that multiple questions about the San Francisco status of the duo were answered by only brief replies of nothingness and ensuing silence.

Saturday was the real reply. O'Brien said he'll reverse how he handled Hoyer and Mallet when the Texans host Manning's Broncos next week. But the Texans' initial preseason game of 2015 was another minor truth that's expected to ultimately become the final proof.

Hoyer was brought here to be the starter. He's had the edge since offseason workouts began. He would have to blow it during the preseason for Mallett to steal the gig. And even 10-of-11 in the biggest exhibition contest of Mallett's career might not be enough to change the Texans' hand.

"Mallett will start the game against Denver, and then we'll go from there," said O'Brien, who decided before San Francisco that Hoyer would run only one series if it was a long, successful drive.

More clarity: Sitting Mallett for all but one series next week makes absolutely no sense. He's started only two real games during his five-year career. He needs all the experience he can get, even if he eventually backs up Hoyer.

"We'll watch the film, and there are a lot of things we want to work on," Mallett said. "But I felt good and we moved the ball well. Hopefully, next time we'll score more points when we get in the red zone."

If the Texans truly divided Hoyer and Mallett for the initial two preseason contests, O'Brien would face a make-or-break third game in New Orleans that wouldn't be fair to the team or either QB. The Broncos should and likely will be Mallett's final chance to prove he deserves Week 1 against Kansas City, not Hoyer. And how can Mallett do that with only a few first-drive snaps?

"I'm getting just as much opportunities as him," Mallett said. "It is what it is. I'm going to do my job."

We entered Saturday waiting months for Hoyer and Mallet to trade quarters and units. Then we watched Hoyer run off eight plays for 87 yards and soak up eight points in just 3 minutes, 48 seconds. He pushed the Texans from their 13 to San Francisco's end zone. He pumped his fist and ran around like a kid twice. He looked exactly like the starter the 2015 Texans need. But, of course, he still doesn't have the job yet.

Right?

 

[EVOLVIST]

The knock on Mallet in the past including in OTAs has been his struggling with accuracy and touch on the short passes...................10 of 11 completions averaging in that type of distance and in general with very nice touch makes you believe he may be overcoming his deficiencies.

...And you know, I was thinking about this, too: there ARE those players, QBs included, that simply thrive when the big lights come on. It's the opposite of those workout warriors who have all of the measurables, but just can't put it together on the field.

Perhaps this is another aspect of Mallet's game, that he just does so much better when the bullets fly for real.

Practice is just that... practice! There's a certain thought process and weighing of concepts and options that's just different from a game.

Eh, I'm just trying to locate the disparity from what we HEAR about Mallet in practice vs. what we're seeing on the field.

 

[Marcus]

Reading this article, I have to wonder how fair the reporting is ............and, if this is really what's going on, how "unbiased" the evaluation of the competition has been all along.

LOL if you've been reading Jerome Solomon's whiney columns of late, you probably shouldn't wonder all that hard.

 

[infantrycak]

Mallett was throwing underneath on all his completions. He got a lot of YAC from the receivers. The YPA is inflated because of that (and the small sample size). There's nothing wrong with that. Take what's there if they are giving it to you. But it was dink and dunk. That's not a criticism (from me at least).

Well it's not a readily defined term. When I think of dink and dunk I think exactly about a Carr offense with half the passes being check downs to the RBs and WR screens. We had only 4 passes to RBs in the game.

 

[Mollywhopper]

Mallett marching downfield playing pitch and catch with receivers running intermediate out routes underneath shell coverage isn't the same as typically mocked "dink & dunk" play.

There's a difference in taking what the defence gives you and giving the defence what they want.

 

[xtruroyaltyx]

Mallett was throwing underneath on all his completions. He got a lot of YAC from the receivers. The YPA is inflated because of that (and the small sample size). There's nothing wrong with that. Take what's there if they are giving it to you. But it was dink and dunk. That's not a criticism (from me at least).

The guys with the highest yac were two guys mallet didn't even throw to.

http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=2015081502

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

bah007 said: ↑

Mallett was throwing underneath on all his completions. He got a lot of YAC from the receivers. The YPA is inflated because of that (and the small sample size). There's nothing wrong with that. Take what's there if they are giving it to you. But it was dink and dunk. That's not a criticism (from me at least).

The guys with the highest yac were two guys mallet didn't even throw to.

http://www.footballdb.com/games/boxscore.html?gid=2015081502

Just wanted to point out that you took a quote of bahoo7 and somehow credited it to me.

 

[Marshall]

Brian Hoyer looked very good in limited play last night.
Led us on an 8-point drive. Two beautiful passes. Easy scores.

Jaelen Strong beasted with Tom Savage out there. That TD catch was nice.
I want to see more Strong playing with Hoyer. Also more Strong on Hard Knocks.

Ryan Mallett put up "David Carr on a good day" type of numbers. No TDs hurt. He can complete 12 or 15 passes in a row. If it leads to no Touchdowns then it's a wasted drive to me. We can dink and dunk our way to another 9-7 season with a guy like Ryan Fitzpatrick starting games. No thanks. Show me that big arm big boy!!!!!

I suspect we wouldn't run 6 straight times from the 1 in a meaningful game. He did what he could under the constraints.
Three good QBs is a good thing. There's no need to find problems where they do not exist. I think we'd have a star if we could combine the poise of Hoyer, the arm of Mallett and the elusiveness of Savage. But for now, I'm loving it.

 

[bah007]

Well it's not a readily defined term. When I think of dink and dunk I think exactly about a Carr offense with half the passes being check downs to the RBs and WR screens. We had only 4 passes to RBs in the game.

I agree that's what most people mean when they say dink and dunk. It's usually only mentioned in a negative context.

I would say that Tom Brady is typically a dink and dunk passer. Personally, I don't think it's a bad thing for a QB to take what's there. The problem comes in when you have a guy like Carr who is so terrified of making a mistake that he won't even push the ball downfield even when it's there. I don't think that's the case with Mallett. He just didn't have any downfield opportunities this week.

 

[Playoffs]

Dink and dunk is not a negative... it's pretty much what this offense has been about when Brady runs it.

 

[infantrycak]

Dink and dunk is not a negative... it's pretty much what this offense has been about when Brady runs it.

As bah said, there's other ways to describe it. Dink and dunk is typically said as a pejorative as it was here. Maybe the best definition is the scared version of the offense.

 

[Runner]

Eh, I'm just trying to locate the disparity from what we HEAR about Mallet in practice vs. what we're seeing on the field.

It also might be a disparity between pre-conceived notions about Mallet and what is occurring at camp.

 

[ghostlight]

I thought the QBs looked good at this point and didn't embarrass the team. I think as the speed picks up mallet will get the team moving in a good pace.

 

[Marcus]

He just didn't have any downfield opportunities this week.

Savage apparently found a couple of opportunities, and he was playing with and against the same 2nds and 3rds as Mallet. Maybe Mallet had them, but just didn't see them.

 

[infantrycak]

Savage apparently found a couple of opportunities, and he was playing with and against the same 2nds and 3rds as Mallet. Maybe Mallet had them, but just didn't see them.

The guys in as replacements in the 1st qtr ae not the same guys there in the 4th for the most part. It's not the "same 2nds and 3rds."

 

[Marcus]

The guys in as replacements in the 1st qtr ae not the same guys there in the 4th for the most part. It's not the "same 2nds and 3rds."

 

[Mollywhopper]

Savage apparently found a couple of opportunities, and he was playing with and against the same 2nds and 3rds as Mallet. Maybe Mallet had them, but just didn't see them.

Savage found Lee downfield once for 23. Mallett also had completions of 17 & 18 to wr's. He was hardly out-gunslinged.

Mallett saw the field pretty well it seemed, to the tune of 90% completions and 8.2 ypa.

 

[xtruroyaltyx]

Just wanted to point out that you took a quote of bahoo7 and somehow credited it to me.

Whoops.

 

[Bulls on Parade]

Dink and dunk is not a negative... it's pretty much what this offense has been about when Brady runs it.

I guess you're right but Tom Brady runs it beautifully and makes it fun to watch. Having a beast tight end makes it better. Ryan Mallett looked good in goal line packages in that game at Cleveland last year when Watt caught a TD pass from him. Watt isn't Gronk, but he probably could be an All Pro as an offensive player if he had played Tight End full time. Some say Watt is better than Gronk overall as an athlete. I agree with that.

We don't have good tight ends and we don't have good running backs. That's the problem. I think Brian Hoyer can get more out of our wide receivers than Mallett can. I re-watched the game from last night. Hoyer hit Shorts in stride for the big play Touchdown, perfect pass (I had to re-wind it five or six times just to enjoy it even more). Then he threw a beautiful fade route to DeAndre for two points.