Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett was shaken up in Thursday's game against the Indianapolis Colts and went to the sideline. He took a helmet to his chest and was replaced by Brian Hoyer. Oddly enough, they said on the NFL Network broadcast that Mallett was quickly cleared to return to action, but Hoyer stayed in on the drive.
Ryan Mallett cleared to return from injury, Brian Hoyer stays in
Ryan Mallett left Thursday’s game with an injury, but when he was ready to come back in, Brian Hoyer remained under center for the Texans.
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That drive resulted in the first Texans points of the game. Hoyer connected on 24 and 11-yard passes for DeAndre Hopkins on the drive. He didn't manage to lead the Texans to a touchdown, but kicker Nick Novak drilled a 36-yard field goal to give the Texans three points.
Hoyer also played the following drive to close out the first half. Remarkably, Hoyer attempted a Hail Mary with one second left and hit Jaelen Strong for a 42-yard touchdown to give them 10 points heading into the half.
It’s unclear if the Texans intend to replace Mallett permanently or if they are just seeing what Hoyer can do at this point, but this is yet another chapter in the quarterback battle between the two. Hoyer was named the starter after a preseason battle, but was replaced in the first game. Hoyer also played late in Week 4 after Mallett was benched in the Texans’ loss.
Mallett completed 7 of 10 passes for 50 yards with no touchdowns and an interception before leaving the game. The interception came on the first drive of the game, after he led the Texans into the red zone. Coming into this game, Mallett had completed 51.8 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and three interceptions, while Hoyer had completed 54.7 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and one interception.
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