The Texans finished with one first-half first down in Sunday’s one-sided loss to the Commanders, and a week after Lovie Smith indicated it was not time to consider making a quarterback change, the rebuilding team seems to be changing its tune.
Houston is considering benching Davis Mills for veteran Kyle Allen, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Mills has operated as the Texans’ starter since late last season, when he replaced Tyrod Taylor. But after a game in which the Texans totaled five first-half yards, Smith may be ready to try something else. Mills and Allen are the only two quarterbacks on the Texans’ 53-man roster.
“Have I watched the video a few different times? Yeah, and made some decisions on how we’re going to go forward,” Smith said Monday. “But you can probably understand, with all changes and anything that we do from week to week, we talk to the players first before we talk to you. We’re not pleased with where we are. Do we need to do some things differently? Yes, and we will.”
A third-round pick in 2021, Mills posted a better rookie-year QBR than draft classmates Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields or Zach Wilson. Despite the Texans having Laremy Tunsil back and having drafted guard Kenyon Green in Round 1, Mills has not built off his strong finish to last season. The Stanford alum ranks 30th in QBR and leads the league with 11 interceptions. Admittedly saddled with an unspectacular pass-catching corps, Mills has not completed more than 60% of his passes in a game since Week 7.
Allen signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal to back up Mills this offseason. Houston was linked to signal-callers in this draft, which seemingly would have dropped Allen to a third-string role, but the franchise passed on adding a young arm. This opened the door to a full-fledged Mills audition. Ten games in, the Texans may have seen enough.
A former UDFA who finished his college career at the University of Houston, Allen has a fairly extensive sample size as a pro starter. With Carolina and Washington, Allen has appeared in 21 games and made 17 starts. He has completed just more than 63% of his passes (6.9 yards per attempt). The 6-foot-3 QB led the 2019 Panthers to five wins, following Cam Newton‘s early-season foot injury, but suffered a severe ankle injury midway through the 2020 season with Washington. Allen, 26, has thrown just 19 regular-season passes since that injury.
The Texans benching Mills would seemingly signal the team is prepared to make a true post-Deshaun Watson quarterback investment. At 1-8-1, Houston is steamrolling toward the 2023 No. 1 overall pick. No other NFL team has fewer than three wins. The Texans could also have a second top-10 pick — via the 2023 first-rounder obtained from the Browns (3-7) — to use as trade-up ammo if they wish to go with a “best player available” approach with their own first-rounder. Heisman winner Bryce Young, Ohio State standout C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis are expected to be the top quarterbacks available in 2023, though these prospects will need to declare for the draft first. ESPN.com’s Todd McShay ranks Young, Stroud and Levis as next year’s Nos. 2, 3 and 13 draft-eligible QBs. Texans connections figure to emerge over the next few months.
Lol yeah because Kyle Allen is the answer
I mean you’re tanking anyway….might as well put in the crappier guy. Though that’s debatable. They both aren’t any good.
I will start with the disclaimer that I’ve only seen 3 Texans games this year, but if you have problems with OL, a below average running game, and a receiving corps that is made of journeymen and malcontents, the way the QB is evaluated should be somewhat tempered.
Below average running game? Dameon Pierce? No their offense stinks because of the QB.
Even baseball finally wised up and got a draft lottery system.
MLB. Manfred.
Strange the NFL still rewards intentional ineptitude.
The NFL is not baseball.
Wait, what???
Don’t worry… you’ll be charged $20 for a beer and hot dog no matter what sport stadium you enter.
To be fair, Houston isn’t necessarily doing anything that I would consider outright incompetent at the moment; they’re simply devoid of elite roster talent. That’s what happens when the regime PRIOR makes incompetent moves that cloud the future
The NFL doesn’t need a draft lottery.
Most of the teams that are consistently bad are either poorly run or miss on their QB draft selections. It’s not hard to see that isn’t intentional.
If you look at basketball, you’ll see a lottery does nothing to deter tanking either. How long did the 76ers ask their fans to “trust the process” a few years ago?
draft “lottery” is a joke.
NFL the only one who got it right.
There are so many teams “competing” for that first draft pick the Texans are going to need to find a way to edge them out.
I bet the Texans are really irritated that Watson is in a position to still hurt his former team.
Right now, Cleveland is tied with EIGHT other teams with only three wins. Two of those teams are already 3-8, while Cleveland and the other five are 3-7.
With Watson coming back, it’s highly likely that the Browns could at least double their win total the rest of the season, which could significantly impact where the Texans 2nd first round pick ultimately lands.
I bet they had to be rooting hard that he was going to get suspended for the entire year, yet somehow Watson can screw over the Texans once more..lol
If I’m the Texans, and somehow both picks land in the top 5, I’m taking Bryce Young first overall, and then I’m hoping and praying no one selects Jalen Carter the DT from UGA.
You can go ahead and book it, Jalen Carter will quickly become one of the most disruptive Interior Defensive Lineman in the league within his first two seasons in the NFL. Whichever team that ultimately gets lucky enough to draft him, as long as he’s able to stay healthy, they will INSTANTLY significantly improve their pass rush and improve their ability to stop the Sinise running game as well.
Carter is the type of player that can instantly make all of those around him better. He creates gaps and lanes for his linebackers to fit in, he collapses the pocket from the inside allowing his DBs to not have to cover as long, and he will demand double teams which will allow his fellow lineman more 1 on 1 opportunities.
Jalen Carter is a game changer and a human wrecking ball. Even on a team FULL of talented prospects, it is clear and obvious who the best player on the field at all times is when Jalen Carter plays. His impact is also made clearly obvious whenever he is not on the field, even though he’s being replaced with another quality, future NFL player.
Jalen Carter is a freak of nature, and if any GM overthinks it and passes up on him, he’s ultimately going to look foolish in a short manner of time once Carter hits the scene with a force.
Even on a UGA DL full of First Rounders last year, as a soohmore it was obvious that Jalen Carter was the best player. He’s better than Walker, better than Davis, and better than Wyatt, EASILY. If you could take Walker’s freaky athleticism couple that with Jordan Davis’ strength, and add in a player that already knows how to play with an excellent pad level and use his leverage, that is Jalen Carter..
He is by far and wide, EASILY, hands down the absolute BEST defensive tackle prospect I have EVER had the fortune of seeing play. His floor is higher than the next prospect’s ceiling, and his ceiling is better all-around Aaron Donald. He’s a generational talent, and someone is going to be lucky enough to draft this franchise player.
I’m pleased the site has anonymous avatars to conceal the identity of player agents. Works like a charm.
I figured he forgot to write that he sings in the church choir, volunteers in the local soup kitchen and invites locals to his home for autographs and brunch.
who tf is Jalen Carter?
I heard the Rock has a league for irrelevant players
Mills has obviously regressed this year. The question is why. Is it due to a lack of confidence? Is it due to poor coaching, poor play calling, poor surrounding talent, weak interior offensive line, or did he play over his head last year?