Hervoyel
BUENO!
Oh don't get me started on that squeaky Yankee voice of his......
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Report: Brian Hoyer to be named Texans starting QB
- Thread starter Playoffs
- Start date
Oh don't get me started on that squeaky Yankee voice of his......
Good point! Houston has to stop with that bs practice decision. Matt Schaub is probably the best qb in the league during practice. Go for the risky gutsy move sometimes.
ChampionTexan
Hall of Fame
It's not exactly like the games did anything at all to show practice was a misrepresentation.
Bulls on Parade
2017 Astros: Earn It!
According to John McClain, Brian Hoyer had looked better in the closed practices for the past several weeks. This wasn't just about the preseason performance or even the practices opened to the public. Bill O'Brien had his mind made up after the Broncos game.
Go ahead and believe that if it makes you feel any better. But the way I saw it, Mallet was dinking it so fast, he wasn't even looking downfield. Savage was getting it downfield. So he was the only one getting the play-call? LOL
Oh, it I didn't think he would be be named either. But I still think he's better than the other two. By a mile.
Flyingfish
Waterboy
If Hoyer is the answer, it must have been a really screwed up question.
OB's mom is right, he does need to quit swearing and go back to church and start praying...
Based on this decision, it's time to trade JJ to a contender so that his career is not wasted the way Earl and AJ's were as part of Houston football. I'll bet that Rick Smith could get lots of draft picks for JJ that could be used on either marginal, unhealthy, over-rated or project type players that can bloat the salary cap.
OB's mom is right, he does need to quit swearing and go back to church and start praying...
Based on this decision, it's time to trade JJ to a contender so that his career is not wasted the way Earl and AJ's were as part of Houston football. I'll bet that Rick Smith could get lots of draft picks for JJ that could be used on either marginal, unhealthy, over-rated or project type players that can bloat the salary cap.
Hervoyel
BUENO!
The only thing I am really worried about to be honest is the turnovers. Now I know he's taken care of the ball better "in practice" than Mallet and that seems to mean something to OB but last year when things went south for Hoyer he was a turnover machine and so in a funny way I kind of feel like Oakland signing Schaub and thinking "Hey, he had a bad patch there but he'll be OK" and I'm hoping really badly that this is true and Hoyer is like early-2014 Hoyer and not late-2014 Hoyer throwing picks like he's trying to set a record or something.
But I really do expect him to be better than Fitz was. I really do. Enough better to offset not having Foster? I don't know about that but better but the turnovers he had in Cleveland last year worry me.
That could happen and honestly, it's not even completely what I'm worried about all by itself. I'm worried about the possibility that the Texans throw him out there and he starts screwing up and throwing picks and then OB doesn't pull him like he didn't pull Fitz for-*******-ever and then like he didn't pull Mallet when it was clear that Mallet couldn't hit the broad side of the barn against the Bengals. My one and only real fear here is that Hoyer will get the call and OB will let him be Bad Hoyer for a butt load of games before pulling him.
Admittedly that's as much an OB related concern as it is a Hoyer related concern but there it is. Hopefully it never happens.
But I really do expect him to be better than Fitz was. I really do. Enough better to offset not having Foster? I don't know about that but better but the turnovers he had in Cleveland last year worry me.
That could happen and honestly, it's not even completely what I'm worried about all by itself. I'm worried about the possibility that the Texans throw him out there and he starts screwing up and throwing picks and then OB doesn't pull him like he didn't pull Fitz for-*******-ever and then like he didn't pull Mallet when it was clear that Mallet couldn't hit the broad side of the barn against the Bengals. My one and only real fear here is that Hoyer will get the call and OB will let him be Bad Hoyer for a butt load of games before pulling him.
Admittedly that's as much an OB related concern as it is a Hoyer related concern but there it is. Hopefully it never happens.
Bulls on Parade
2017 Astros: Earn It!
Where are the Brian Hoyer forum signatures we can rock out? We have ourselves a new starting quarterback and this is a new era of Houston Texans Football. I'd like to show my support for Brian Hoyer but there are no Texans sigs of him anywhere on the Internet. I even see some Ryan Mallett sigs out there but he's only a backup right now.
MightyTExan
It's go time!
Is it just me or didn't Savage look better than Hoyer and Mallet?
I'm ready for the next head coach......
I'm ready for the next head coach......
DX-TEX
#TomSavageDontCare
Im not happy about Hoyer either but that is just crazy talk. Walk away, take a deep breath and come back
HOU-TEX
Ah, Football!
I don't believe anything. Hence the ? at the end of my comment. I do believe, however, these preseason games have had little (if anything) to do with this decision. LOL
So you just toss out the downfield throws we've already seen from Mallett? As though he just got downfield amneisa going into this season.
WolverineFan
Hall of Fame
Not surprised. Neither guy did anything to separate and win the job so the veteran got the nod. Pretty standard.
Bulls on Parade
2017 Astros: Earn It!
I was excited when the Texans signed Brian Hoyer. I wanted him to become our 2015 starter from day one, but I was disappointed with his performance in the last game against a better defense. He looked good against a rebuilding 49ers defense which lost three all pro caliber players on that side of the ball this off-season. He'll likely see extended playing time against the Saints on Sunday and maybe one or two series against the Cowboys in the final preseason game.
Bulls on Parade
2017 Astros: Earn It!
If Watt and Wilfork had played against the Broncos, even if Peyton Manning had played the entire game for the Broncos, I believe we'd have won that game 10-7. We're going to win a lot of low-scoring games this year. As long as Brian Hoyer doesn't turn the ball over or make too many bad decisions.
WolverineFan
Hall of Fame
I'm not excited about him whatsoever. He's Fitzpatrick 2.0. Would probably have run the overall offense more consistently than Fitz did but with Foster out for an extended time I'm not sure that will be the case anymore. He's either going to get injured at some point or go into a funk like he did last year and give his backup an opening. The problem is, I'm beginning to get more and more convinced that Mallett is nothing special.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
He may not be, but we also may never know at this rate. Some greats have looked good but not great after a rookie year of up & down starts. Mal's had two starts. He gets an incomplete grade at worst right now.
Meanwhile we're going into this season with an apparent cap on it. Ugh.
DX-TEX
#TomSavageDontCare
Jayson Braddock @JaysonBraddock 52m52 minutes ago
Jayson Braddock retweeted Ryan Crossingham
Not bitter at all. Fan base in Houston is being sold a fair QB comp. I've said for 5 months that it was never fair
Jayson Braddock @JaysonBraddock 58m58 minutes ago
Jayson Braddock retweeted Chris
Don't always eat what you're being fed. https://twitter.com/ChrisOtto87/status/635830385545465858…
Jayson Braddock added,
Chris @ChrisOtto87
@JaysonBraddock @AaronWilson_NFL guess Mallet didn't make the most of his opportunity
TheIronDuke
All Pro
Should have known this would be the case when we signed Hoyer to a bigger contract.
We will be lucky to win 7 games this year with this offense.
We will be lucky to win 7 games this year with this offense.
sandman
Brexit Advisor
I'm not a conspiracy guy, and I refuse to believe that this entire off season was orchestrated to keep Mallett down so OB could go with his preferred choice.
However, I do believe that OB took the mindset that unless Mallett proved something to him, he was going with Hoyer. I have no doubt that if there was nothing separating their performance, he was going with Hoyer. The competition was that Mallett was given a fair chance to beat out Hoyer, but it was never a 50-50 truly open competition that media types like Pancakes kept promoting, all while sniffing Hoyer's jockstrap with every update.
And if we are all being honest with ourselves, there wasn't anything consistently that you could point to all OTA and TC that said day in/out Hoyer was better than Mallett. And Mallett wasn't better than Hoyer. And in a draw OB was going with Hoyer. THAT I believe was predetermined, although I can't understand why. Unless we are talking the unrealized potential of a 30-year old QB. In Bob We Trust, I guess.
However, I do believe that OB took the mindset that unless Mallett proved something to him, he was going with Hoyer. I have no doubt that if there was nothing separating their performance, he was going with Hoyer. The competition was that Mallett was given a fair chance to beat out Hoyer, but it was never a 50-50 truly open competition that media types like Pancakes kept promoting, all while sniffing Hoyer's jockstrap with every update.
And if we are all being honest with ourselves, there wasn't anything consistently that you could point to all OTA and TC that said day in/out Hoyer was better than Mallett. And Mallett wasn't better than Hoyer. And in a draw OB was going with Hoyer. THAT I believe was predetermined, although I can't understand why. Unless we are talking the unrealized potential of a 30-year old QB. In Bob We Trust, I guess.
WolverineFan
Hall of Fame
Mal's not a rookie though. He's 27 years old and been in the league 5 years. He spent years learning behind Tom Brady. Like I said the other day, at some point its not about not getting reps and its more about just not earning them.
Bulls on Parade
2017 Astros: Earn It!
That's true. I wasn't expecting Arian Foster to miss half the season for the second time in three years when Brian Hoyer was signed. On the plus side, our wide receiver group looks really strong and that's saying a lot considering Andre Johnson left.
Our depth at wideout is possibly the best in team history. In terms of that 1 through 6 or even 1 through 5. I could see Hoyer connecting for some big plays out there with the likes of Hopkins, Strong, Shorts, Washington, etc... etc...
He's been known to throw a pretty deep ball in the past. The problem is he was limited last season with the Browns because his two best wide receivers were out for most of the season not to mention his own injuries. Hoyer could have had a good season last year if he stayed healthy and had all pro wideout Josh Gordon. We have better wide receivers than what he had with the Browns last year.
If we get anything positive out of our running backs or tight ends, and our offensive line plays better than they looked so far this preseason, our offense may not be that bad. We'll still have J.J. Watt catching those goal line Touchdowns playing some tight end. Which quite frankly will be a major boost for our red zone struggles.
Our depth at wideout is possibly the best in team history. In terms of that 1 through 6 or even 1 through 5. I could see Hoyer connecting for some big plays out there with the likes of Hopkins, Strong, Shorts, Washington, etc... etc...
He's been known to throw a pretty deep ball in the past. The problem is he was limited last season with the Browns because his two best wide receivers were out for most of the season not to mention his own injuries. Hoyer could have had a good season last year if he stayed healthy and had all pro wideout Josh Gordon. We have better wide receivers than what he had with the Browns last year.
If we get anything positive out of our running backs or tight ends, and our offensive line plays better than they looked so far this preseason, our offense may not be that bad. We'll still have J.J. Watt catching those goal line Touchdowns playing some tight end. Which quite frankly will be a major boost for our red zone struggles.
cland
Waterboy
Yep, that's the truth. I was definitely on the Mallett bandwagon, but the fact is he hasn't thrown a TD in either of the preseason games was disappointing. He had a chance but didn't capitalize, such is life.
Practice reps and preseason series aren't the same as going out and accumulating regular season gametime. He's a rookie in terms of having a body of regular season work to judge him on. Kurt Warner was nothing special until he had a shot to go out and week in and week out play the part.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
This is exactly what 99.99% of the folks being labeled "conspiracy" guys are saying. There was a 'competition' with OB's thumb on the scales.
WolverineFan
Hall of Fame
He definitely seemed more comfortable with Hoyer than with Mallett from the beginning. I do think it was an open and unbiased QB competition but neither guy separated so OB went with the guy he feels more comfortable in. Mallett had a chance to make a move here but he didn't. I don't believe it was a conspiracy for one second. That's fan logic, IMO.
sandman
Brexit Advisor
Not saying there was a conspiracy. But OB's "I have no idea who will be the starter" shtick was disingenuous. He knew who the starter would be, unless something changed his baseline bias.
WolverineFan
Hall of Fame
It wasn't disingenuous. It was coach speak. Rex Ryan is doing the same exact thing with the Bills right now.
QuantumMortis
Noob
What's OB to do? If you don't draft a QB this is what you end up with the majority of the time in the NFL which is a parade of mediocre guys and mediocre seasons. We are in QB purgatory with no clear exit.
Maybe it had nothing to do with Mallett vs Hoyer. Maybe OB isn't happy with where his OL & RBs are right now & knows that he's going to need someone who can "create" in the backfield. Mallett may be able to sidestep a LB or two, but I can see OB valuing Hoyer's ability to move more.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Ferentz start at center & Ben Jones back at guard.
OB's making chicken salad.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Ferentz start at center & Ben Jones back at guard.
OB's making chicken salad.
Marshall
Not pretty, but ALIVE!
... would you believe 40% 35% 25%? That's sort of my sense of the starting point with a margin of error of 5%. I think there was little movement as they all stepped up rather than down. Maybe not to levels some want, but up.
Marshall
Not pretty, but ALIVE!
Equally good can appear very similar to equally bad. I lean toward the former.
Maybe he's naming Hoyer the starter to get the Jets to up their trade offer....
Anyone esle find McClain's morning column comical ... "QB race still has no front-runner" ...
Marshall
Not pretty, but ALIVE!
Please provide details.
Flyingfish
Waterboy
I have this bad feeling that OB will start Hoyer till the hot garbage gets too deep (as he did with Fitz), then with the season pretty much over, he'll go to Savage to "see what he's got" before the draft. The draft will come, and we'll get some players that are projects that won't be ready for several years...several more years of wasted and lost time for the good players currently on the roster. If I was JJ, I would be looking for an "out" in my contract.
Marshall
Not pretty, but ALIVE!
I think BOB realized any decision was better than waiting any longer to find a clear winner so he went with experience.
cland
Waterboy
That is one of my concerns with Hoyer. Could be unfounded but I always felt that the under use of TE's last year was because Fitzy was too short to see over the line in to the middle of the field, and Hoyer is his exact height. Of course Brees would tell me I'm am idiot so who knows.
eriadoc
Texan-American
Seems to me that OB had it in his mind that the job belonged to Hoyer unless Mallett did something to change his mind. I'm not sure what that was supposed to be, but the knock on Mallett was supposedly his accuracy and touch. Well, in both preseason games, the game was scripted for Mallett to highlight that. The reason I say scripted is because he basically did nothing but take 3 and 5 step drops. You never saw him take a 7 step drop, roll out, or even do play action. It seems like the staff wanted to see if he could operate an uptempo, quick drop, quick decision game. And he did it. His accuracy was fine, he had touch on his balls, he reacted well in the face of what little pressure there was, and he moved the team down the field. So if OB wanted to see something else, it sure as hell doesn't seem like Mallett had much of a chance to do anything else to me.
Most of all, it just seems like a difference in philosophy from people like myself, and that's a little disheartening, to be honest. It seems like OB knows he doesn't have a franchise QB, so his response is to go cautious and try to remove as much risk as possible. That's fine when you have a running game, but with Arian Foster down, there is no running game. Given what's been shown in the preseason, I'd rather see Mallett get the reps and the chance to be whatever he's going to be. I don't feel like the team is a playoff team with Hoyer. Maybe it isn't with Mallett. But there's a greater chance of magic happening with a guy like Mallett than there is Hoyer, IMO. Seems like OB is trying to go the safe route. Well, there is no safe route. You have no QB and no RB. Safe left the building. Now you have to play aggressive. It just seems weak.
I recognize that I know nothing about what's been going on away from the cameras, so my comments are strictly based off what I see. OB sees lots more. But I've definitely learned from prior coaches that blindly trusting them to make the best decision is folly, so no blind homerism here.
Most of all, it just seems like a difference in philosophy from people like myself, and that's a little disheartening, to be honest. It seems like OB knows he doesn't have a franchise QB, so his response is to go cautious and try to remove as much risk as possible. That's fine when you have a running game, but with Arian Foster down, there is no running game. Given what's been shown in the preseason, I'd rather see Mallett get the reps and the chance to be whatever he's going to be. I don't feel like the team is a playoff team with Hoyer. Maybe it isn't with Mallett. But there's a greater chance of magic happening with a guy like Mallett than there is Hoyer, IMO. Seems like OB is trying to go the safe route. Well, there is no safe route. You have no QB and no RB. Safe left the building. Now you have to play aggressive. It just seems weak.
I recognize that I know nothing about what's been going on away from the cameras, so my comments are strictly based off what I see. OB sees lots more. But I've definitely learned from prior coaches that blindly trusting them to make the best decision is folly, so no blind homerism here.
WolverineFan
Hall of Fame
Very true. But then you could say that about any QB that's not getting reps yet there's only been a handful of Kurt Warner's. I just don't see anything special in Mallett. That's my own personal opinion. Hopefully he proves me wrong while wearing a Texans jersey and I can gladly come back here and eat a huge plate of crow.
ChampionTexan
Hall of Fame
Agreed - nice post.
I've heard this characterized as Hoyer's job to lose, but I think it was very much more Mallett's job to win. I've said before, I believe if Mallett convinced OB and Co. that he was a solid NFL starting QB, the job was his. If he didn't, it wasn't. Hoyer's performance didn't really factor into it that much IMO. Was that a completely level playing field? NO! Was it giving Mallett a legitimate shot to win the starting job? I believe it probably was.
As to Hoyer as the starting QB, I have no illusions that he's going to take the field and change anybody's mind about being the QB of the future - he won't, and he's not. I do believe it's a very realistic possibility he gives the offense a better chance than Fitzy did. I also believe that while he'll get a few weeks to turn that possibility a reality, it won't be a 9 week leash like Fitzy ended up having last season. Whether that's 4 games, 5 games or whatever, I don't know, but I think it's 6 games or less.
I don't have a clue with what that has to do with what you quoted.
WolverineFan
Hall of Fame
IMO we missed our chance when we didn't trade up for Bridgewater. He was labeled the top QB in the draft during and right after that college season and fell once the pre-draft process got started because he didn't have prototypical measurements and had a poor pro day throwing in shorts.
We could have walked out of that draft with Clowney and Bridgewater.
eriadoc
Texan-American
My only answer to that is watch the drops. The play call dictates how deep the drop is. You're not going to throw the ball deep from 3 and 5 step drops, and that's just about all Mallett did during preseason. The coaches dictated that. They wanted to see other things on film, evidently.
My only issue as things are here is we already know with good reason that Hoyer is nothing special. He's servicable and that's ok. But he's done nothing special in a bunch of starts. Mallett could be nothing special, or he could be something. He absolutely won't show any of that holding a clipboard while nothing special is taking snaps for real.
It's not like Mallett couldn't be yanked if he went out and layed an egg.
Marshall
Not pretty, but ALIVE!
OK. I did NOT find the column comical because... IE (naming the starter was not about getting a front runner, but naming a starter in spite of not having one.)