Stop looking just at the QBR.
Do you take Winston over Brady, Rodgers, Allen, Mahomes, and Herbert?
Burrow's QBR is also higher than all those QBs except for Brady.
Would you take Burrow over those guys?
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Do you take Winston over Brady, Rodgers, Allen, Mahomes, and Herbert?
Burrow's QBR is also higher than all those QBs except for Brady.
Would you take Burrow over those guys?
Mills is next to last in Air Yard per Attempt.
That's decidedly a dinker and dunker.
2021 NFL Passing | Pro-Football-Reference.com
Check out the 2021 NFL Passing Stats and more on Pro-football-reference.comwww.pro-football-reference.com
It’s like saying a kid is going to be short because he was born 15” long. Unlike most QBs coming out of college where they are who they are going to be, the book is wide open on Mills.
He still can't read defense and he's still inaccurate.
Look at the last two INTs.
You call that improving?
Only guys that can read defense and go through his progression quickly can be a good deep ball passer in the NFL.
Guys can improve, but never all that much all that fast.
You wait until Mills get to his second contract, you would have wasted a lot of time for nothing.
If anything, your team will continue to be mediocre to bad.
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
Mills is next to last in Air Yard per Attempt.
That's decidedly a dinker and dunker.
2021 NFL Passing | Pro-Football-Reference.com
Check out the 2021 NFL Passing Stats and more on Pro-football-reference.com
doesn’t explain the why…this is the problem with using stats…they only tell part of the story.
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
rookie stuff..exacerbated by lack of good skill guys around him, no run game and bad protection.
SnakeEyes
Under NRG
Read...wait I'll post 2. Again, not saying he is Brady or anything. But, I have watched him look of DBs pre snap. He has baited them also. So, while not 100% finished product, he is improving. I also think that he will improve much more when Taylor gets back. The reason is he will sit again. Allowing him to see what he should have done in certain situations. He will however have the knowledge of what true NFL speed is and the differences in the window to throw into and things like that.
Davis Mills NFL Draft 2021: Scouting Report for Houston Texans QB
HEIGHT: 6'3 ¾ " WEIGHT: 217 POSITIVES — Above-average arm strength and throws a very catchable ball. — Consistent, tight footwork on dropbacks and in the pocket...
www.google.com
sandman
Brexit Advisor
Dude has started 4 games and you're throwing out second contracts weak sauce to the people preaching a little patience.
You mean the only 2 ints that he threw last game, the 1st one happens to every QB and particularly rookie QB's, it's part of the growing process. The 2nd int was a bad throw. He should've put more air under that ball.
As far as reading defenses goes, he's getting better at this. For instance do you think he did a good job reading the defense against Belichick the week before? I thought he looked better than Dak did against Belichick and Dak has light yrs more talent to work with than Mills does.
Right now Mills looks like most rookie QB's, he plays better at home than he does on the road and overall he's looked pretty good against defenses, seeing how little football he's played.
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OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
Evidently you threw out any positive parts of his game and focused on 2 INT’s and maybe the other 2 throws you deemed should have been intercepted. If you look at his stat line….I’m fairly certain he didn’t throw 4 passes the entire game.
Also, his dink and dunk game may be more of a product of Kelly’s game plan than him deciding to dink. Based on the amount of times the pocket collapsed around him, I wouldn’t blame him for dinking since it may have been the quickest option instead of taking the sack.
The problem I’ve had with the Texans in general……they’ve never prioritized or got their priorities correct when it came to drafting or obtaining OL. I stated more time than I care to remember that the team handcuffed Watson b/c he was playing behind a shitehole of an OL. Mills has walked into the very same situation……only the running game is far…far…far worse. The OL has handcuffed the teams ability to use their TE’s b/c they’re essentially asked to be an extension of the OL.
**Note to team….quit ducking drafting TE’s that can catch and draft extra OT’s and classify them as TE’s**
I’d like to se the team finally figure out how to build an OL and draft RB’s that could make a difference.
TheRealJoker
Hall of Fame
The team didn’t have issues investing in the OL. They spent 1st and 2nd round picks on the OL plenty as well as overspending in free agency for Fulton/whatever Matt Khalil was supposed to be.
The trouble ever since Kubiak left is developing OL. And that starts with having an actual identity on offense with what type of running game you are going to deploy.
This is why I hope to see Mills against the Colts defense the second game. We'll have a better idea of his progress then.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
Kubiak deployed the ZBS and hired one of the best ZBS Coaches on the market. Then found himself one amazing cutback and go runners with vision via UDFA. Those ingredients created success.
Post Kubiak….the Texans running game has left zero to the imagination.
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austins23
Hall of Fame
And the lack of TEs in the passing game. I know they have to help block, but how about giving the impression of blocking and hitting the seams or be there for the hot route. A TE should be a rookies best friend (target)
Thorn
Dirty Old Man
Agreed. Mills is doing just fine for what he is.
The Texans as a team however are not. Pathetic and horrible come to mind.
Davis Mills.
32nd as in dead last.
www.mercurynews.com
32nd as in dead last.
QB power rankings: Time to give credit where credit is due at No. 1
Dak Prescott of Dallas jumps to the top of the heap, followed by future two Hall of Famers and a game-changer in Lamar Jackson.
www.mercurynews.com
And why do you think it was so?
After all, I heard people here saying how good he was in the Patriots game.
Did the coach turtle back because of that or what?
I don't understand.
Like I said, on both INTs, it was 1st and 10 and Mills was not under any pressure.
He had guys open, too.
Number19
Hall of Fame
Dang, I wish channel 11 hadn't been removed from Dish; but I probably could find 2 excellantly thrown passes.
Any one resulted in a TD?
So, do you think he'll ever be a top 10 QB on a consistent basis?Read...wait I'll post 2. Again, not saying he is Brady or anything. But, I have watched him look of DBs pre snap. He has baited them also. So, while not 100% finished product, he is improving. I also think that he will improve much more when Taylor gets back. The reason is he will sit again. Allowing him to see what he should have done in certain situations. He will however have the knowledge of what true NFL speed is and the differences in the window to throw into and things like that.
Davis Mills NFL Draft 2021: Scouting Report for Houston Texans QB
HEIGHT: 6'3 ¾ " WEIGHT: 217 POSITIVES — Above-average arm strength and throws a very catchable ball. — Consistent, tight footwork on dropbacks and in the pocket...
If so, when?
Weak sauce is trying to tell people to be patient.
If the guy is not ready, he should sit and learn.
If he gets on the field, he becomes part of the problems.
Looking thru that list, there's a lot of weak QBing in this league. The rules are made to favor the offense and the QBs. But, there's still a ton of crap play out of the position. Has the coaching of QBs regressed? I don't have an answer.Davis Mills.
32nd as in dead last.
QB power rankings: Time to give credit where credit is due at No. 1
Dak Prescott of Dallas jumps to the top of the heap, followed by future two Hall of Famers and a game-changer in Lamar Jackson.
I think guys are rushed onto the fields nowadays where they don't belong, yet.
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
And the more level-headed of us said, otherwise. In fact I, @thunderkyss & @powda all expressed some reservations about some of the seemingly unwarranted aggressive downfield passes that he got away with in that Pats game .
So from that standpoint, i don't think Kelly turtled back in this game as you say, b/c looking at the mode of playcalling, the routes he's mostly throwing to (speed outs, curls and slants) and the number of guys that are let out in route on a play to play basis (most times only 2-3), i don't think Kelly has EVER truly let him loose. i just think Mills at times has been making some of these aggressive downfield & progression throws all on his own. Which is good to certain degree...You want your guy pulling the trigger on things he sees out there. but with a rookie alot of times those types of throws are hit & miss. Obviously in the Colts game, those throws were misses. All you can hope is that he learns from them.
Im not saying all this to say that i believe he's "the guy"...& if i had to make a decision on that right now based on what i've seen of him, i'd say he's not the guy. But i do think that he has shown ability to get much better after this season. How much better? i think his roof with decent talent around him is Schaub/Jared Goff. I don't see him ever being able to elevate guys around him.
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Mr teX
Hall of Fame
Too, you see more of these younger offensive-minded coaches tailoring their offenses to what their qbs do best to take advantage of their unique skillsets and to help them be more successful out the gate. Noone is running even 90% of the traditional base offenses that we used to see back as early as the 90's. Everyone's running a little bit of all of these offenses with college sub-packages sprinkled in like the wildcat and pistol set ups...that these young HC/OC's rely a little too much on at times. Don't know what the hell type of base offenses Lamar Jackson & Josh Allen are running but its not quite WCO, EP or Air Coryell. & These guys are arguably top 5 qbs. The problems for them come when you get in the playoffs and defenses have effectively killed those sub-packages & you have to really start qb'ing. As far as i'm concerned TB12 is 1 of the last "real" qb's left in the game & its why he's still killing it at 44 when these young cats are all out of sorts when they can't free-lance and run around.
Jack Burton
Veteran
If for no other reason I’m just glad Mills was drafted in the 3rd so I can watch the endless butthurt of specific posters as they desperately try to re-insert DW unsuccessfully where they cant fit him anymore.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
I think the biggest harm has been money and the Owners/GM’s wanting instant gratification. Far too many QB’s are getting zero development time behind an NFL veteran QB and wind up flaming out before they ever had a chance to get started.
In Mills case, no 1st team reps…..zero. Team made him QB2 and at no point did he get any time to build any kind of rapport with the 1st team in the event Taylor went down. His first team reps are coming on a limited practice schedule and in game against some of the better NFL defenses. This is not an excuse but simple statement of fact.
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sandman
Brexit Advisor
The point is that a response of "WhEn He SiGnS tHaT sEcOnD cOnTrAcT" is grossly misinterpreting the position of others to try to bolster your own. But you know that. Address what people actually say instead of making straw man arguments.
Outside of a poster or two, everyone recognizes his current limitations and supports TT starting when healthy. Preaching patience on his development until TT comes back isn't weak sauce, it's being pragmatic and having situational awareness of living with decisions actually made, not what decisions that should have been made in hindsight.
Number19
Hall of Fame
I would add that the CBA, in my opinion, has negatively impacted the game. Other than the first round, a rookies contract is only for 4 years, basically forcing teams to hurry the development of rookie QB's. And as you note/imply, on field practice time is severely limited by the CBA.
And with the divergence between the college game and the pro game, not only QB's but also OL'men, are under developed/ill prepared for the pro game.
I simply say that I have no time to wait for a developmental QB to develop into a bona fide starter.
It wouldn't be my plan if I was the GM or HC.
It's not on Mills that he's out there, but once he steps onto the field, he's supposed to be playing like a starting QB and is subjected to scrutinizing just like any other player.
And I'm saying he's not the best QB available to win a game.
As a HC, Culley needs to put the best man for the job out there.
If he thinks Mills is, then IMO, he's not the HC for a team I want to support.
As a GM, Caserio is not putting the best product possible out there if he's not willing to sign or trade for a veteran QB.
sandman
Brexit Advisor
I'm not going to debate the opinions you hold. Only thing I will say is that backup QB's are backup QB's because for the most part they are not good enough to be starting QB's. I know, that is MENSA level logic there. Backup QB's play when the starting QB isn't available, otherwise they may never see the field all season. It is completely unrealistic to expect no difference in QB play between your starter and backup, especially when your backup is a rookie 3rd rounder. Even the people who get paid to do this as a living assess them as backups doing fill-in duty.
badboy
Hall of Fame
That's a lot of barbecue but at least then they would be good for something.
badboy
Hall of Fame
Well quite a bit of that is our quarterback telegraphing the Run play 90% of the time.
We know what we got at running back but we don't know what we have on the offensive line because so many of them are not playing or they're being shuffled around like chairs on the Titanic. This roster is exactly what I thought it would be. A bunch of average players hoping to get a few bucks in Houston before traveling onward if not upward.
This is one of the reasons I'm hoping at some point we get significant draft picks for Watson and perhaps laremy tunsil. I am ready to go with draft picks only for a couple of years and let them develop. Another concern is do we have coaching in place to coach up the few that we're going to keep off of this team and those coming in in the next two to three years? I am beginning to think not. Devlin's replacement seems to be Devlin's brother.
badboy
Hall of Fame
So I can put us down at 4 and 5? Just kidding.
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
Fitz/Keenum v Mallet in 2014
Hoyer v Mallet in 2015
There were some here who swore "he can't be worse than those guys can he? He's got a stronger arm than all those guys..we just need to see what we have, Belichick picked him in the 3rd round and has kept him around.." Then they saw him play. & he indeed was worse than all those guys & that's why he was parked on the bench here in the 1st place.
sandman
Brexit Advisor
You know, I got that one wrong. I was for the Mallett thing and even in hindsight I don't think that was a bad decision to kick the tires on him knowing what they knew at the time. Stud in college, prototype big arm pocket passer, sat for three years learning from Brady and Belichick. If you're staring at three journeyman as your QB1 options, you probably make that call more times than not if there's a chance you get your guy. Because it was obvious that Fitz, Keenum and Hoyer were not going to be the guy. Now, it was a majestically bad decision after watching him try to play a few games over the two seasons, but going into that situation without knowing how it would all unfold, taking that risk wasn't a crazy stupid move on their part.
Bringing it back to Mills and his performances. He may not be a starter in this league. He may be. Where I am at is that this current situation may show that a series of suboptimal decisions that led to him being the fill-in starter for this stretch of 4-5 games were not the right decisions, more than it shows about his actual ability. I can't objectively say he was placed in a position to succeed. IMO, he rides the pine once TT is back and get the opportunity to learn more that way, preparing himself to legitimately compete for the starting position next year. So I'm not going to try and bury the guy under unrealistic expectations, but that doesn't mean I'm blowing rainbows up his backside either. I see a guy thrust into a tough situation and isn't fully ready. Yet.
SnakeEyes
Under NRG
That is my original point. I don't care how many games he played. NCAA and NFL are vastly different. He was sitting and learning from Taylor and the coaches. Until Taylor got hurt. Why didn't we bring in another QB? That I don't know, perhaps nobody the staff saw as better was around (or could afford). So, Mills was there, knows what is going on with the playbook and such. Team was saying 4 weeks, but Taylor (according to reports) wasn't ready yet this past week. All in all he has played alright. If you take away the Bills game he is not doing bad at all. Let's face it, the Bills are really good. The weather was awful for anyone, worse for a rookie still learning. Back to the topic. If you take away the Bills game Mills has 5TDs and 7 INTs (including the Bills game). 912yrds passing and a 73.2 QBR. Nothing amazing but realistically better than others. Now minus the Bills game and the 4INTs and 87yrds with a 28-something QBR (which lowered his average a good bit) he has been improving each week.
Breaking it down:
Browns 1TD 1INT 101yrds 58.1 QBR (not a full game)
Panthers 1TD 1 INT 168yrds 95.5 QBR
Bills 0TD 4INT 28.4 QBR
Patriots 3TDs 0INTs 312yrds 141 QBR
Colts 0TDs 2INTs 243yrds 62.5 QBR
That's 2 good games, 1 is excellent. The factor of the Colts game is while he indeed played well, the play calling was awful. He didn't get that great of protection and he did force 1. The other INT was on a good D play on a reciver. Had the staff had the same play calling and TE use it had vs NE he would have had a much better stat line. They just have to take what works and use it. Keeping a TE in 95% of the time for example isn't working. Against NE they used them as pass catchers too and while not a win, a great game on the offenseive side of the ball. So, while he grows as a player, the staff need to call a game that produces results.
Well, that's what you get for jumping into the middle of a conversation/argument.
Caserio and Culley are fools to make Mills the backup QB.
This is not Pee Wee league where anybody and everybody gets to play.
Also, fans spend a lot of money on the team and to watch a professional game, not practice.
People can't use excuses like "oh, but he only had 11 college starts and limited time in the NFL".
Then sit.
They didn't have any problem bringing up the Patriots game.
Well, then they shouldn't have any problem when I and others bring up the rest of the games.
The number one job of a backup QB is to protect the ball, and not turning it over.
Mills' first Int in the Colts game resulted in a quick TD for the opponent and put the Texans behind the 8 ball.
Like I said, it was first and 10 and there was no pressure.
There was just one receiver on that side.
The QB has to know that the defender can easily (and is often taught to) squeeze the route.
He has time.
He needs to check that.
But he doesn't know how to read defense so it comes back to the fact that he has no business to be on the field.
He lacks too much fundamental to be out there on the NFL field.
So when something goes right, it's Mills.
When something goes bad, it's the HC, the OC, and so on?
sandman
Brexit Advisor
You're responding to me about points I never made, but I get that you have a need to be right about everything.
Should I check in with you before responding to something you post in a thread? Don't want to get into the middle of a private conversation.
That's because I try to explain to you what it was about.
Atleast your thinking instead of putting out a bunch of skewed PFF stats.
Depends on if Mills settles in closer to the Mills vs Pats rather than the Mills vs the Colts. Of course missing Tunsil certainly doesn't help in this regard.
Well, the Texans did score 16 points against the Pats when Tunsil was out.
Yep, and with no hitting allowed in practice you wont see the young OL improve like they used too. The CBA is really hurting the abilty to improve the run game and is increasing injuries throughout the NFL. This is what the players bargained for and it's why I dont have much sympathy for them when they suffer career altering injuries.
Then you probably need to root for another team if your time is that short.
Do you have a life threatening disease or something and no ADD doesn't count as a life threatening disease.
Weren't you the guy who said there will be no Lombardi with Watson?
Britt/Tunsil/Howard and Scharping played together every game until last game. After 2 different OL coaches I'm beginning to believe it's a talent issue. Howard/Scharping have played very poorly. You aren't going to look good as an OL when your OG's suck. Same thing happened last yr too, except Martin was even worse than Britt.