The Texans will resume the quarterback competition between Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett when training camp gets underway, but the fact that they’re having a competition is all anyone needs to hear to know that there’s no franchise quarterback in Houston this season.
Or a “super quarterback,” to borrow the preferred phrase of Texans owner Bob McNair. McNair and the Texans have found themselves without that player who can “help cover up other deficiencies” for most of the franchise’s existence, but the owner isn’t writing off the season because they’re missing that player.
McNair believes coach Bill O’Brien will create a “good environment” for whoever starts at quarterback by limiting the deficiencies that need to be obscured while holding out hope that Hoyer or Mallett will be better than expected.
“We’ll try to make it up by having one of the best defenses, so we’ll keep other teams from scoring many points,” McNair said, via the Houston Chronicle. “And we’ll be able to run the ball and hopefully control the clock. And we’ll continue to get better on special teams. So if we can do those three things, all we need is consistent play out of our quarterbacks -- they don’t have to be superheroes. And if they don’t turn the ball over and just go out and execute the game plan, we think we’ll win. This is a winning philosophy and other teams have won with this philosophy and we think we can win that way, too. Now, would we like to have that super quarterback? Absolutely. And if we have the opportunity to get that person or develop that person, that’s what we’ll do. Maybe Mallett or maybe Hoyer will blossom or be that person for us. It remains to be seen.”
Life’s always better with a “super quarterback” running the offense, but teams that don’t have them don’t have much choice other than going the route that the Texans will be traveling this season. It worked well enough for a 9-7 record last season and anything better from the quarterbacks this time around might mean a playoff berth for Houston.