Ryan Mallett will be the starting quarterback when the Houston Texans hosts the Indianapolis Colts in a Thursday Night Football game, despite being benched in a blowout loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4.
Ryan Mallett will remain Texans starter vs. Colts
Mallett was benched in a blowout loss to the Falcons, but he will be back in the starting lineup against the Colts.
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At a press conference on Monday, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien announced the decision and said that while Mallett needs to play better, a game in three days makes switching quarterbacks difficult. “Brian (Hoyer) did a good job, but being on a short week, it’s important to stay with Ryan right now,” O’Brien said.
Mallett was sent to the bench with the Texans down 42-0 to the Atlanta Falcons after completing 12 of 27 passes for 150 yards with an interception. Hoyer led the Texans to 21 fourth quarter points with a 17-of-30 passing performance for 232 yards and two touchdowns -- albeit with the game well out of hand.
The Texans originally acquired Mallett via trade from the New England Patriots prior to the 2014 season, but he spent most of his first season with the team on the bench behind Ryan Fitzpatrick. Mallett tore his pectoral muscle shortly after he was put in the starting lineup in Week 11.
Hoyer was named the starting quarterback for the Texans after a length competition with Mallett that was seen on HBO’s Hard Knocks, but after a poor showing in Week 1, Hoyer was benched to make way for Mallett.
The Colts lead the AFC South with a 2-2 record, one game ahead of the 1-3 Texans, and enter Thursday with a 15-game winning streak against divisional opponents.
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