Would be huge for CJF to breakout. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">CJ Fiedorowicz was another guy who stood out for the Texans today. Night & day from last year. Looks so comfortable, effortless now</p>— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaysonBraddock/status/627522946471297024">August 1, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bill O'Brien was asked if he has a better sense now of when he'll choose a QB and if anyone has an edge. Said no both times. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash">#Texans</a></p>— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) <a href="https://twitter.com/taniaganguli/status/627527048630829056">August 1, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> So I guess the good news is that he's not making a knee jerk decision, instead letting things play out. The longer he gives it, the better the chance of Mallett winning and the better it will be for the Texans IMO.
If Mallett can't beat out Hoyer then he's not the savior some hope he'll be. Give them some time to compete. But overall, if they're splitting reps, the sooner you name a starter the better. I'm not hoping for a lengthy battle just so a guy who couldn't win the job in Week 1 can win the job in Week 5. The competition is already there. They've been pushing each other all offseason. At some point, you want to give your eventual starter the majority of the reps in practice so they can be as sharp and prepared as possible going into the season, especially since the receiving corp will be almost entirely different and they need to get in sync with whoever the QB ends up being.
"Cant believe I am saying this, but wished Fitz was still here...smdh" This is what one of my good friends who was there today said. He said that both had few OK moments, but they both dont look like starting QB material...ouch...This is Day 1... Any chance we could convince that Brees' time in New Orleans is up...and trade for him(1 or 2 first round picks, Clowney, Brown?) Not sure how the NFL rules are for trades, but man the Texans really should be trying very hard to get Brees.
There's a hard cap, there's no chance any deal would be done even if the Saints wanted to trade Brees.
Mallett isn't the QB for this team. His one good game last year has been so overrated. Hoyer is the safer bet. We'll see what happens though.
Quotes from day 1 of training camp: Head Coach Bill O’Brien Spoiler (on the pace of practice) “Yeah, the pace was good. These guys came back in good shape for the most part. I’d say 95 percent of this team, probably more than that, 97 percent of this team came back in great shape. The conditioning test is not easy, and so then with that in mind, they’re able to come out here and practice at a good pace.” (on what mistakes they need to correct from today) “Just inconsistency you know, just some sloppiness. We have to clean up some of our line of scrimmage, procedures, formations, alignments, communication on defense, but I did like the pace. I liked the way the guys moved around and how they kind of competed.” (on what he saw out of the rookies today and if any were wide-eyed) “I don’t know. They’ve been here since after the draft, they know the program. I like the rookie class. I think they work hard, they compete, so I didn’t see anybody that was wide-eyed. I just saw some guys that are still learning, still trying to get it down, but guys that definitely compete.” (on what excites him most about this team compared to last year) “Every year is different, so I don’t compare this year’s team to last year’s team one bit. Everything’s different. Every year is different, so I think this year’s team is totally different from last year’s team. We’ve got different players, guys that are new to our system this year. Like I said in the spring, I really think this team works hard and competes hard. We just have to continue to do a better job taking care of the little things.” (on how the quarterbacks performed today) “You know I think it was a typical first day, getting back into the swing of things, with the pass rush there and things like that and we’re throwing a lot at them. So I thought both guys had some good plays, both guys had some plays they probably want to have back, and hopefully we can continue to keep that going in the right direction as far as more good than bad, but I thought both guys came out and competed today.” (on who takes first reps with the first team during training camp) “I think in training camp it’s a little bit different, everybody gets reps with everybody else. I mean it’s not, we don’t look at it as a first team, and a second team, and a third team and all that. For two-spot drills we may divide it up into a red group and a blue group, but everybody is repping with everybody else. You’ll see (Ryan) Mallett and (Brian) Hoyer sometimes they’re in there with the number three, the third offensive line, whoever we chose to be on that third offensive line, so things like that, different receivers, different backs, it’s just about getting everybody a bunch of reps and getting everybody on film.” (on if until he makes that decision he will be moving people around) “Yeah, certainly, yeah, again it’ll be guys working with different groups, different receivers, different backs, that’ll be the way it is.” (on if he knows when he is going to announce the starting quarterback) “No.” (on if anyone has an edge right now at quarterback) “No.” (on if the inconsistency today is normal for the first day of training camp) “I think it’s unacceptable, we have to get better at little things, we have to stay on-sides, we have to line up right, we have to take care of the details. If we can take care of the details, better and better each day, I believe that’s going to turn into wins. If you look at some of our games last year, as it relates to penalties, we would start a drive and jump offsides, or we would start a drive on defense and not be aligned correctly and start behind schedule. I think if we can take care of little things, things that don’t require any talent, don’t require any talent, all it requires is concentration, focus, knowledge of your assignments, I think we’ll be a lot better. The guys are working hard to get better at that, but we need to keep going in that direction.” (on what small things specifically they need to fix) “False starts, lined up wrong on defense, miscommunication, there weren’t many of those today but there were enough to say like, ‘This has to get better.’ Whether it’s typical of a first day, third day, fourth day, I don’t know anything about that. I just know that as it relates to this team, we need to get better about those things.” (on T Jeff Adams playing left guard today) “Like I said, we’re mixing and matching with our offensive line and playing different groups together and things like that. Jeff can play tackle and guard. He’s an example of a guy that can play a few positions. He’s a versatile guy, so we threw him in there at guard today.” (on what he would like to see throughout camp) “It’s a progress league. It’s an improvement league, so I want each guy to come out here with the thought that they’re going to get better. Better at whatever it is that they need to get better at, whether it’s a receiver and route running, a DB and his coverage, or a rookie and his knowledge of assignments. We all as coaches really want to see improvement. That’s what we’re about as coaches too. Tomorrow we have to coach better. We have to understand the pace of each drill, where the drills are. We have to pick it up tomorrow. Everybody has got to improve every single day.” (on if he thinks competition helps the team improve) “Yeah, I believe in competition. I think we all do. It’s such a competitive league that I think the more you can put these guys out there in competitive situations, of course you have to have individual drills, technique work, and those things, but at the end of the day nothing replaces the experience of going out there and doing it in 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 and getting the rep in a competitive environment. As we go through training camp, we’ll do that more and more.” (on how training camp compares to last year) “Again, I don’t really compare years. I really don’t. Last year was a totally different year. This year is a year onto itself. I think that the guys came out today and definitely competed. I think this team competes very hard. I think we just got to continue to take care of the little things and be better in that area.” (on his team’s effort) “These guys give good effort. I never, it’s rare that I ever have to get on anybody about effort and that’s usually a young guy that’s coming in from college and just doesn’t get it yet. Overall, with our veteran players, these guys give good effort. They come to work every day.” (on the team understanding his system in year two) “Well, I think going into, as it relates to that question the second year of working with this coaching staff, the different systems on each side of the ball, with the guys that were here last year, they definitely know our systems better, no doubt about it. The guys that weren’t here last year, they’re still learning, but the veterans players are really picking it up fast. If you look at a guy like Nate Washington, he’s picked up our offense, Cecil Shorts, very quickly. Even Brian Hoyer, even though he’s been in the offense before, he’s come in here and he understands the offense. Our veteran players are doing a really good job. Our rookies, I think, are working hard to get up to speed with those veteran guys. Just by the nature of things, the veterans are ahead of the rookies. They’ve had more experience. I think the rookies are working hard to catch up.” (on how he feels about Hard Knocks being at practices) “That’s a loaded question (laughs). No, I think were used to it. I’ll tell you this about the people from Hard Knocks are great people to work with. Matt Dissinger, the director, has been great. He and I meet every day, twice a day, and talk about what the schedule for the day is. It’s not a distraction at all. We’re used to the cameras already, they’ve been here for about six or seven days. I think anytime you have a mic on or a camera in your face, that’s not always easy in the beginning, but you certainly get used to it after a while.” (on the team’s schedule during camp) “We’re early risers, so most of our team is here by 6:30 in the morning. Usually we practice at 8 in the morning, so they’re getting taped, they’re getting whirlpool, maybe they get a little position meeting in before they head out to the field, then we practice out here from about 8 to 10:30 or 8 to 10:15. Now, they’ll go lift, they’ll have lunch, treatments. Then we’ll have an afternoon special teams meeting, an afternoon O and D meeting where we’ll watch the practice film. Then we’ll break them a little bit more, then we’ll have dinner. Come back, we’ll have night meetings, a squad meeting, special teams again, O and D. Then we have a walkthrough at night. We’ll usually do the walkthrough over in the stadium. If we can’t get over there, we’ll get in here, in the bubble probably, and do a walkthrough. It’s a routine. I talk to these guys every day about having a consistent, daily approach. That’s part of being a professional football player, being consistent on a daily basis, having that approach, setting the alarm clock, getting up at a certain time, getting going, and doing the same thing every day. That’s what training camp is all about.” (on not having two-a-days) “Well these are the rules. You can practice once out on the field and the next practice has to be a walkthrough. Now you can choose, like on Monday night we are going to practice at night and have a walkthrough in the morning. You can choose when you do it, but basically you practice once a day and then you have a walkthrough in the other part of the day. I really like it, yeah I like our schedule. It is a grind. The players know that. Training camp is a grind. Training camp has to be a grind. That is where you lay the foundation of your team. Nothing is easy in this league, everything is earned. It is a grind, but I think the walkthrough gives us a chance to really go back and teach the basics, install more plays, it slows things down a little bit, and of course we aren’t hitting so it takes some pounding off of these guys. I think that’s a good thing.” (on the first woman coach hired in the NFL by the Cardinals) “First of all, I have a ton of respect for Bruce Arians, I think he is a hell of a football coach. He has become a friend of mine since I became a head coach in the league. It is kind of like he said, if someone regardless of gender, can prove that they can be out here coaching and helping the players get better, then who cares? Who cares if it is a male or female? It is about making the players better. He is the first one to do it, I think the woman he hired is a coaching intern for him working with the linebackers, which is a great opportunity for her. I think if that is something that ever happens here, if someone can prove and come in, we interview four or five people and two of them are women and that woman is the best interview, and we think she can be the best at getting players better then we would do the same thing. We aren’t doing it this year, our coaching staff is in place.” (on intern policy) “There is no set policy. I think we have four guys this year. We have some visiting coaches and things like that, but as far as I know there is no set policy on how many people you can bring in. My philosophy on that is I like a smaller staff so they are hearing it from one voice and not 65 voices.” (on the progress of the coaching staff) “We have made progress. I believe that the coaches really understand their own positions. They understand the philosophy of what we are trying to do here. Compete, play hard, do a lot on both sides of the ball. We have a lot of schemes. I believe these guys have become better teachers in the last year. I have been in all of their meetings. They are communicating well, they are asking good questions. I really believe in this coaching staff. We have two good additions to the staff with (Offensive Line Coach) Mike Devlin and (Defensive Line Coach) Paul Pasqualoni that have come in here and really done an excellent job to this point and continue to do a good job. I like where we are at as a staff right now." (on what he wants to see every day) “Improvement. I want to see some of these penalties cut out, I want to see more balls completed, I want to see better communication on defense. I just want to see overall improvement every day. I don’t want to take a step backwards. I want to keep taking a step forward. I tell the guys all the time, it is hard to have a perfect practice. It is almost impossible. You want to strive for perfection and then you can be pretty good. If you are always striving for that, and that’s what I think these guys are trying to do. They are working hard and trying to get better every day.” (on the conditioning test) “Basically we divide them up into three groups. We have linemen, linebackers and tight ends, and then the skill players. We run them, 40s, 50s, 60s in a certain amount of time with a certain amount of rest. Do about 20 of those with a halftime, so 10 and 10, and they have to pass it in a certain time. Like I said, I think about 97 percent of the team passed the test.” (on the roles of the quarterbacks) “They are both good leaders, they are both good teammates. They communicate well. Again, it is going to come down to who is playing the most consistent. When we feel like we have a guy that we think is the most consistent we will go with that guy, but the other guy is going to be right there. There is not much separation. Both guys are good leaders though, they are early in the locker room, they are early out to practice, they stay after practice, and they are working extremely hard and I think that is the sign of a good leader.” (on QB Tom Savage working his way into the competition) “Anyone that is out here can work their way into any competition. It is a matter of what you do when you get out here. How you perform. Tom is a very improved player. I think today even he came out here and made some nice throws. He had a couple of plays he wished he could have had back just like everyone else out here, but anybody that is out here competing has a chance to compete for a job.” (on the competition in the secondary) “I agree with you. I think there is good depth and good competition. There are some really good guys back there and they communicate well. We have got some leaders back there in J-Jo (CB Johnathan Joseph) and K-Jack (Kareem Jackson), really good veteran players that know our system. They really know how to talk to the young guys, come out here and compete every day, so I think there is good depth and competition and they need to continue to try and improve every day.” (on QBs Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallet’s relationship translating to camp) “I don’t know, I think it is a different team, a different city. You would have to ask them. They are definitely two guys that work well together. They support each other. You can see when they change in the drill they slap five. They are supporting each other. They know they are competing against each other, but they also know that both these guys out here are trying to do their best. But as far as their relationship and the intimacy of their relationship, I would ask them that question, not me.” (on drills during practice) “I think what I am trying to do is create some competition. So to me when you go against each other especially 11-on-11 or certain 7-on-7 drills, there is a winner and a loser. That is just the way it is. That is the way it is on game day, you either win or you lose, there is no gray area. So I think it is just a reminder that these are the things we need to do to win, and when we don’t do them we have to remind ourselves that we don’t want to do these pushups, we want to win this drill. So that is one of the reasons why I do it.” (on players running laps) “Well you did miss it. You must have been chatting with Smith or something. We had a whole group run a lap.” DT Christian Covington Spoiler (on first camp experience) “It has been great. We have been here since rookies reported to camp a couple of days ago, so it has been a good experience so far. It is great to finally be out here putting the work in. I know everyone is excited to be out here, I am just looking forward to this opportunity.” (on his progress after his injury) “It has been great. What matters right now for me is not looking at the past anymore. I loved what happened. There were some bad things like injuries that I wish I could redo, but I am here now and am so grateful for this opportunity. I am thankful to be out here and am looking forward to getting to work.” (on having family at practice) “It is great. To be able to be in the same city that I spent my college years at, that’s a great thing to be a part of. To have that close knit family in the same city, whether it is close friends or actual family, it is a great feeling, great support.” (on advice from his father) “Basically as a rookie I need to shut my mouth and put the work in. Yes sir, no sir for everything, do what I am told, and enjoy the grind.” (on players that have mentored him) “It has been a team effort from everyone on the defensive line. I can’t really single anyone out. It is really a collective unit, a collective effort. I am thankful to have guys like J.J. (Watt), like Vince (Wilfork) on this defensive line that have had experiences like they have in this league.” (on Rice’s season starting) “You give your support where needed, but at the same time I am trying to work on me. I wish them all the best, but at this point in time I am trying to work on the task at hand.” WR DeAndre Hopkins Spoiler (on where he feels most comfortable out there) “I worked on a lot. I really can’t say one thing. I didn’t make a Pro Bowl, so I got a lot to work on.” (on how WR Nate Washington and WR Cecil Shorts III coming in has helped him) “They helped out a lot, and the young guys helped out a lot as well, not just those two guys. Everybody as a wide receiver core, Keshawn Martin, everybody has helped out, not just those two guys.” (on what the difference in tempo is between this year and last) “I feel like we’re in better condition. The guys that played in this offense last year kind of know what to expect coming out here. And you know this condition, they know how to treat their bodies better than last year, guys are out here, there were more IVs being used last year about this time. So I would say better conditioning and guys know what to expect.” (on working with WR Nate Washington and WR Cecil Shorts III) “They’re doing a great job, they’re two guys that have been in the NFL for a long time, they know how to handle themselves on and off the field. On the field these guys are out here contributing a lot, they’re teaching me things that I don’t know so that’s good.” (on the quarterback competition) “I’m just out here trying to work on my craft and make this team better.” (on how day one was this year compared to last) “I feel a lot different. I feel like I’m going out playing, I’m not thinking so much, I think all the guys that were in this offense last year think the same and the guys that went through OTAs, the young guys, we’re out here actually just playing football. Not so much as thinking and trying to learn the playbook because we kind of have that, I wouldn’t say mastered, but we have it under our belt a little bit. The coaches, we’re still learning as well we’re still working on our craft, but I would say everybody that’s been here last year has a better grip on offense.” (on if it’s challenging to tune out the HBO Hard Knocks crew while they are out at practice) “It’s easy to tune out, especially when you’re out there going so much. You get on the sideline, you’re not worried about those guys, the cameras being on you. You’re more so worried about what’s happening on the field.” (on if he feels like he’s working on himself or working on chemistry with the quarterbacks) “I haven’t had the chance to work with those guys, well Ryan Mallett but not Brian Hoyer. I wouldn’t say I’m so much working on myself, without them there is no me, so we have to have the chemistry down, and we’re constantly working on that.” (on if he’s been working overtime to help teach the new Texans receivers the playbook) “We’re all working together to help each other out. We’re testing each other in the film room, and what to do because this is an offense you’re not going to get overnight. Even me being here last year there’s still questions I have, so we all help each other out.” (on the competition already being intense between the offense and the defense) “Oh man, it’s always going to be like that. That’s what is going to make us a better team.” (on if he is coming into this season with a different mindset without WR Andre Johnson) “No, never, I’ve still got the mindset I had since I was a rookie, and that’s to come out here and dominate number one, two, three or four.” (on the success of Clemson wide receivers throughout the NFL) “I would say, that’s a hard question. We all knew that we had the potential to impact the NFL when we were in college, but there was only so many balls that could be thrown around to each other in college. I would just say hard work, all those guys work hard, and they all feel like they can be that guy, and they all feel they can be reliable. All of those guys work hard to be where they are now.” QB Brian Hoyer Spoiler (on the wide receiver group) “As a group, this is one of the best groups I have played with from top to bottom. Like I said, every guy knows what they are supposed to be doing, run good routes, talented. It is definitely one of our strengths. (on offseason film work) “You get back in the flow of things. I mean you try to prepare and watch as much film as you can, but once you get out there it is a little bit different angle and the bullets are flying. Today is the first day, you have got to get better. There were some good things and some bad, but we are just hoping that we improve day to day.” (on the shape of the team) “I think even back to OTAs and minicamp we always practice at a very good pace. We have a group of guys who are willing to work hard and come out and be in good shape. That is another thing, everyone came back in really good shape. We were able to come out there and compete at a fast pace. You don’t have guys dropping out, and if anything, it makes you have to think faster too which makes it more game-like.” (on a good thing and a bad thing from today) “I think for us as an offense we need to work to eliminate the pre-snap penalties, jumping offsides, and the delay of game at the end there. So eliminate those and give yourselves a chance to play. When you have those pre-snap penalties, you put yourselves in a bad situation. That was probably the worst thing of the day today but we made some big plays in the passing game. I remember handing the ball off to a couple of our backs a few times and saw some big holes. Obviously we don’t have pads on so it is a little harder to tell, but Arian (Foster) is making some good cuts and the receivers are running good routes.” QB Ryan Mallett Spoiler (on day one of training camp) “It’s the first day, you know, we got to come out here and get better every day but I felt good, the team looked pretty good but we have to come together, take some little mistakes and get better with those, so we’re going to watch the film today and come back tomorrow, get ready to go.” (on what he’s going to work on this season) “Eliminating stupid penalties, stupid mistakes.” (on how he spent his time in between OTAs and camp) “Working man. I worked with a few of my coaches, my high school coaches in Carthage. I went to University of Arkansas, worked up there then took a little break with my family, so that’s how I spent my time.” (on Head Coach Bill O’Brien saying there is no excuse for a bad practice) “Right, right, yeah. Practice is practice, it’s never going to be like the game but we try to make it as similar as we can to a game situation, so we have to just clean up little stuff and get better at those things. (on the receivers) “I love them, man. I got guys that can get open, they catch the ball well, so we just got to get them the ball.” (on improving at quarterback) “Just working with the receivers and throwing a lot of balls.” (on the quarterback situation) “I wasn’t really worried about that. I was worried about my reps and making myself a better teammate and a better player to help my team win.” (on competing with QB Brian Hoyer) “Yeah, I’m not looking at it like I’m competing against him, obviously that’s the situation but for me it’s about making myself better to help the team win.” (on playing in the heat) “I mean we liked it, we enjoyed it. It got a little cooler this morning, but the hotter it is, the better for us. Get in better condition, be in better shape, going into games in the fourth quarter and finishing games.” (on feeling that he can still win the quarterback competition) “Are you counting me out? Oh okay, just making sure. I trust Bill O’Brien with my career, so I feel like I’m going to get a fair shot. Whatever he decides is what we’re going to go with. He’s the head coach and we’re the players, so it’s kind of our job.” (on coming back after his injury) “I just want to get back out there and play. Those two games, it was just kind of like a little taste, but I really want more.” (on practice today) “It was decent. We got to get better at a lot of little things.” (on what the team needs to work on) “Like I said, there are a lot of little things we need to clean up from alignment, assignment errors. I felt like we competed, there at the end we competed, scored a touchdown, so that was good. But like I said, we just got to come out here tomorrow and get better and keep building on our foundation.” (on working out in Carthage) “Yeah, I’ve done it every year.” (on throwing in pads) “No, I mean it’s more live action, it’s a little bit faster pace. Moving, dropping faster and getting through your reads. That’s about it.” (on WR Cecil Shorts III and WR Nate Washington) “They’re going to help us. What we’ve got to do is get them the ball, let them make plays like they’re capable of.” (on the biggest difference in his game from last year to this year) “I’m healthy.” NT Louis Nix III Spoiler (on the first day of camp) “I’m just trying to get it all back. I am not perfect right now. I have got a lot to work on, so I am just trying to take the opportunity to get better.” (on his goals for camp and the season) “Stay healthy, stay conditioned, and just learn everything I can from the guys around me.” (on not playing last year) “I am just trying to get my body in the right place and getting back in my stance. I am just trying to transition back to football and doing it every day because obviously I was hurt. I just want to get my groove back, that’s all.” (on DT Vince Wilfork) “He is a great guy. Obviously he is a vet, we call him ‘OG’. He teaches us a lot just trying to show us everything he has learned throughout the years. We just try to be coachable and learn from him because obviously he has been doing it this long so you know he is good at it.” NT Vince Wilfork Spoiler (on the team’s progression so far) “I mean, it’s camp time, so you got to kind of get back going, get in shape. Everybody starts from ground zero. That’s where we’re at right now. A lot of rust we have to knock off if we want to be a successful team, but we did what we needed to do today. Just start day by day and just try to string them together, so it’s the first one. We have plenty more to go to get to where we need to be, but everybody came back ready to go and excited to play, so that’s the most important thing. Guys came back ready to go, so we’ll go back in today, watch film, make some corrections, and move forward. Come back out here tomorrow and try to string another one together. That’s where we’re at right now.” (on Head Coach Bill O’Brien saying the first practice was unacceptable) “Absolutely, absolutely. We know, to be at our best, we have to practice like that. First practice, there’s no excuses. It’s just simple things that we got to get rid of, bad football. That’s one of the things that we have to get rid of. Just bone headed mistakes. Don’t even take time to do some things that we make mistakes about, so if we can clean those up and be a better football team because of that, we’ll be okay.” (on what bad football looks like) “False starts, offsides, holding. Just stupid stuff like that. A pass interference or something like that. Being over aggressive at times. That happens.” (on the Houston heat) “I don’t practice the heat, man. I’m a football player. I’ll practice in whatever I need to practice in.” (on how DE J.J. Watt will affect his game) “I’ll tell you what, he’s a man. He’s a man. To do what he’s done so far in his young career, he’s a special player. I’ve been around a lot of guys and he’s right at the top of the list and the crazy thing is he’s still young. I’m excited to see what he’s going to bring this year with me. Hopefully, I can help him out.” (on what he looks forward to teaching DE J.J. Watt) “Teach him what? What am I going to teach J.J.? One thing we’re going to teach each other is we’re going to compete at the highest level. I mean, I think at this point in his career, I think anybody can get something out of somebody, but you’d have to ask him what he’s going to get from me. What I’m going to get from him is just watching how he works. The amount of effort that he puts into practice, the film, and preparation. He’s a true professional. To be so young and be the way that he is, it’s like he’s been around this game for 10 or 11 years the way he carries himself on and off the field. He’s a prime example of what the NFL is looking for when they talk about guys that know how to play this game and be a professional and be a human being. He’s a perfect person, so that’s what I’m going to learn from him. We’re going to compete every day. We’re going to find something to compete about. With him, it’s going to be difficult to find something to compete with him with because in every category he’s a beast. I’m going to have to find something. I’ll have to dig up something on him.” (on introducing DE J.J. Watt to his family after practice) “Yes, one of the reasons I came here was because of my daughter. She said the only reason she was going to move here is if she got a chance to meet him. I said, ‘Okay, well’ and I made that promise some months back. It finally paid off for me right now, so I’m the best dad in the world right now.” (on having veteran CBs Kareem Jackson and Johnathan Joseph playing behind him) “That’s a complete package back there. You know what, we got to just continue to do what we need to do on the practice field from every individual. We always got to put the team first and do our jobs. That’s the number one goal for us. If we do that, everybody is going to rise to the occasion. That’s what I’m looking forward to. I’m looking for everybody to do that. We did it yesterday on the conditioning test. We were a little sloppy today for the first time, but that has to be cleaned up today and moving forward for tomorrow. But I’m looking for big things from all of us, not just certain guys and not just leaders of this team. I’m looking for good things coming from this whole team this year. I’m very excited about watching us and seeing what we’re going to do. Hopefully, we can do what we need to do in the future.” (on if bad football is worse than bad barbeque) “Oh man, that’s a tough one. No, at the level I’m at, bad football. We can’t afford bad football. We can’t. Bad barbeque, you can always go find another restaurant to try. Football, this is what you have, so you’ve got to be at your best when you’re playing it.” (on if he is trying to set a standard with the team) “I think individually, if you come to work ready to work, it will speak for itself. I don’t think sometimes you don’t have to talk all the time to people. I think sometimes you lead by example. You have rookies that sometimes you might have to get on a little bit. But for the most part, we got a pretty good group. It won’t take much. It’s just showing them and teaching them and getting to know these guys. You know, I’m a new guy here. This is my 12th year in the league, but I’m new here. Just get a chance to let guys understand how I am, who I am, and what I’m here for. I’m all ears and I’m a sponge. You can sit and talk to me about anything in the locker room. They know that. I think that’s one of the things they appreciate about me. I’m a regular human being, even though I’ve played the game for a long time. I’m just a normal guy that loves this game. As long as we have guys who love this game and have a passion for this game, we’re going to be alright.” (on transitioning to a new team) “No, it’s not difficult for me because I love the game. I think if you have a bunch of guys that love this game, you’re going to all compete at the same level because you’re always competing for that one goal. It’s to get better. I think we have that. We have some great guys on this team and every day we come out here, we prepare well, we practice well, and we want to play well. It’s easy for me to come in here because that’s just part of being a professional. That’s part of my job. Been doing it for a long time in my career, so it’s easy to just step on the field and continue to do that. They have guys follow your footsteps. There’s guys that already have been doing it. Now, just help them out with other guys, with the rookies that are all of a sudden coming from college. Now, they get to see how J.J. Watt practices, how Vince practices, how Arian Foster practices, how these guys practice. Just set the tone like that. Sometimes you try not to set the tone, but just by your actions alone, it sets the tone on its own.”
I think it's hard to say Hoyer is "safer" in that he has 3 good games in 17 career starts vs Mallett having one good game in 2 career starts. I suppose anything is possible, but I guess I have to see Hoyer being a good QB before I'm going to believe it's possible. I'm going to have to see Hoyer outplaying Mallett in the preseason games before I expect it.
with a healthy foster, there is no doubt hoyer can do everything fitzie did but so can Keenum. I don't want someone that goes into the fetal position when watt comes knocking, only to throw an int to an ILB and go 39% completion rate the rest of the game. I want someone to break the safe barrier. That is Mallet. If mallet sinks, that forces us to start the real search sooner. Hoyer is just stalling the inevitable. Hoyer Best case scenario- Matt hasselbeck 2003-2005. (i'll take that) Hoyer worst case scenario- Hoyer 2009-15 Mallet best case scenario- Sky is the limit Mallet worst case scenario- the floor is his ceiling
Honestly I'm fine with rolling with Hoyer with this season if he's outplaying Mallet. Mallet's issues since his rookie year was his consistency. Some days he would look awesome and other days he would look terrible. If he hasn't improved in that category in his time in the NFL that limits his upside. What's the point of a QB that is supposed to have upside but isn't improving. Neither QB more likely than not was never going to be that franchise guy. That guy is probably going to have to come from the draft.
Except that Mallett didn't really have a good game. The only thing he did well was up the tempo of the offense, but we had 40+ rushes for 200+ yards...which makes life much easier for a QB. Mallett really didn't do anything impressive and I'd say that his job could not have been any easier that day. Arm strength is one of the most overrated aspects in analyzing a QB...and that's basically the only the Mallett has going for him. Give me less arm strength along with better accuracy every day of the week. Having said that, I really hope Mallett can get that under control bc that would be great for the team, but I still think he's behind Hoyer until he can show otherwise.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This Texans quarterback competition might be over sooner than you think. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HoyerWins?src=hash">#HoyerWins</a></p>— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) <a href="https://twitter.com/LanceZierlein/status/627513683762024448">August 1, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It just feels so very strange to see and hear from so many Texans fans who have all of their hopes for the season pinned on Ryan Mallett.</p>— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) <a href="https://twitter.com/LanceZierlein/status/627522365014978560">August 1, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> I may have missed them but seems most media members (not that it's their decision) are projecting Hoyer as starting QB.
yeah i think we all know but we just don't want to admit it. "We still anticipate both sub-par quarterbacks making 2015 starts." that's a huge backdoor for lance to sneak out, like sources say dwight will return to La or will leave La. if both make starts, chances are we haven't improved from last season =(
It would surprise me if Mallett won the job. If he does, than that means he is going to be a really good qb. Hoyer is going to be an average quarterback, which is a nice fall back option.
Its starting to sound like Hoyer is going to win the job, and I guess it makes sense so he can keep the Texans noodle armed QB tradition going. I am really not expecting much out of this offense this year. This defense might have to score more than last year to make up for the lack of o.
I believe Hoyer's floor is a great back-up QB and his ceiling is a good game manager. We seem to have constructed a pretty good team, so if we can keep everyone healthy then Hoyer may work out well as a starter. On the other hand, Mallet has the physical gifts that you want in a prototypical QB. If he could become more consistent and improve his decision-making he could be the stud QB we've dreamed of. If he's doesn't he'll be that streaky guy who get's you excited one game and exasperated the next. It's going to be a combo of OB's/Godesy's development magic and some hard work by Mallet to shape him into our dream QB. Like many, I'm really hoping its Mallet at #1 and Hoyer at #2. However, the wildcard here is Savage. If Mallet doesn't develop, I could see Savage potentially leapfrogging both guys by next season. Savage has a great arm and has shown us glimpses of his potential. I was in the stadium last year when he rallied us to victory over Denver in the PS--it was amazing, he literally sucked the energy out of that stadium with one drive.
