The Houston Texans pulled starting quarterback Brian Hoyer late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Hoyer was having a poor outing to that point, and with the Texans trailing by double digits, the Texans replaced Hoyer with Ryan Mallett.
Texans don’t know whether Brian Hoyer or Ryan Mallett will start Week 2
Brian Hoyer was pulled from Sunday’s game against the Chiefs in favor of Ryan Mallett. Head coach Bill O’Brien says he has to review tape before making a decision on the starter going forward.
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Following the game, a 27-20 loss, head coach Bill O'Brien met with the media and said he didn't know if Hoyer would be his starting quarterback when the Texans play the Carolina Panthers in Week 2. O'brien said that replacing Hoyer with Mallett seemed like "the best decision for the team."
When asked who would be the starting quarterback, O’Brien responded that he didn’t know, and that he’ll need to “watch the tape and make an honest evaluation.” He refused to answer further questions on the topic, saying that the team would evaluate every position going forward, and would try to make decisions to help the team improve.
“I’m disappointed, embarrassed .... I feel like I let those guys down,” Hoyer said after the game, via Tania Ganguli of ESPN.
Mallett said that he was ready to go when O’Brien told him to go into the game and that he did what he was asked to do. Going forward, he says he’ll plan as though he’s the starter.
“I believe in myself, and that’s all that matters,” he said.
Hoyer and Mallett battled for the starting quarterback spot throughout training camp and in the preseason. Neither really impressed in the preseason, but Hoyer ultimately won the job. On Sunday, he completed 18 of 34 passes for 236 yards with a touchdown and an interception before he was pulled
Mallett came in and completed 4 of 6 passes for 42 yards and a touchdown on his first drive, putting the Texans within two scores of the Chiefs. Obviously, the game was out of reach by that point and the Chiefs were mostly playing it safe, but Mallett did what the Texans asked of him and that should make things interesting going forward.
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