Tag: davis mills

Lack of transparency in starting QB announcement bad look for struggling Texans

The Houston Texans did themselves no favors with the way they handled the announcement of Kyle Allen as the starting quarterback over Davis Mills.

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Nearly one year ago, former Houston Texans head coach David Culley stood at the podium in front of the media and announced that rookie quarterback Davis Mills was replacing veteran Tyrod Taylor. Culley’s explanation for the change was that Taylor had become ineffective in leading the offense, and the franchise wanted to see what they had in Mills.

With the Texans set to take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Mills has found himself in the same situation as Taylor did last December. Backup quarterback Kyle Allen has replaced him.

Many are not surprised that Mills is being replaced. His performance through the first ten games of the season is enough evidence to prove any case of making him a backup.

The offense looks lethargic when he is in the game, and his decision-making in the passing game makes fans cringe every time he drops back. Mills has thrown 11 touchdowns this season. He has also thrown 11 interceptions, including at least one in the last five games.

The perplexity of the situation has an underlying dichotomy. That has been caused by the individuals that are making the decision.

It isn’t the replacement that makes the Texans organization look unscrupulous. It is the lack of transparency that they had in announcing the decision. Coach Lovie Smith, general manager Nick Caserio, and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton all had an opportunity to say that they were making a change at the quarterback position and denied it.

“I will stay away from hypotheticals,” said Pep Hamilton when asked about Allen being the starter during his press conference. “I think all the guys on our gameday roster, we feel like they give us a chance to go and play competitive football.”

The elusiveness did not stop there for the signal caller. When asked if he felt that Mills gives the team the best opportunity to win against the Dolphins, Hamilton gave a very indistinct, borderline sarcastic answer.

“We feel like Miami’s defense is a formidable defense,” Hamilton responded. “They are notorious for bringing a lot of pressure, and we’re coming up with a scheme to feature our starters and make sure that we counter that pressure with the opportunities, take advantage and hit some big plays.”

Yet, some wonder why the local sports media has the attitude they do towards the organization. Being vague will only bring about more questions and criticism, which the Texans seem to have become comfortable doing.

Maybe Hamilton was taking his cues from Smith, who wasn’t amiable when he was asked repeatedly about the change at the quarterback position. To be clear, he was only asked the same question multiple times because he refused to give a clear answer the first time.

“The guys that we’re going to play are the ones we think give us the best chance to beat Miami,” Smith answered when asked the same question Hamilton was about Mills giving the Texans the best chance to win.”

Last season when Culley announced that the team had decided to make a quarterback change, he was clear and concise on what the plan was going forward.

At this point, we have no clue who will be the starter when former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns come to NRG Stadium next Sunday.

Will it be Allen or Mills?

With how this coaching staff makes decisions these days, it could be Jeff Driskel.

Six points with David Dorey

Friday’s quick look at six fantasy items to know

We got past Thanksgiving with no upsets but closer than expected games.  The Lions are better than in recent seasons – no argument. And the Bills are no longer paving over every opponent. The Vikings got back on the Winning Wagon but not before the Patriots made them work for it. The Cowboys pulled away in the second half over the Giants, but it was close for a while.

Now we move into Week 12 weekend with fantasy playoffs looming and every game, and every fantasy point could be the difference in reaching the league playoffs or looking for something to worry about in December.

Six items for this weekend:

1.) Playoff Defenses – Unless you are in an 8-team league with rosters of just ten players, your waiver has to be little more than players that are either on injured reserve, the “not happenings”, or the hot starters that are back under a rock. But – defenses are still likely there since most fantasy teams will stick with one for the season. Do not do that for the playoffs, you always need options. Yes, entire defenses do not get injured, but enough of  their key players can make a difference, or their offense falls apart and the defense plays in less advantageous situations. Or maybe, you may have a really bad matchup in Weeks 15 to 17 worth covering.

This table shows the average of the strength of schedule (SOS) tool output for projected fantasy points using what opponents allow on average to opposing defenses for Weeks 15 to 17 and three-week sum of what defenses have been scoring. In essence, how good they are and how good their schedule is combined.

Check individual weekly matchups if you want to mix and match defenses, but the above shows which defenses are best situated to perform well in the playoff weeks.

2.)  Playoff kickers – Same deal as the defenses above, these are the kickers with the most favorable output combining their weekly average and what the strength of schedule (SOS) took says about what Weeks 15 to 17 average out to be for their unique schedule.

You should always carry two kickers into the playoffs, even if you never use the second kicker. The above kickers have the best outlook.

3.)  QB Mike White (NYJ) – The Jets opened the season with Joe Flacco for three weeks, and he never passed for fewer than 285 yards, totaled five touchdowns, used Elijah Moore for a dozen catches and let Garrett Wilson start his career with a bang. But when they finally decided that they had enough of Zach Wilson and the Yips, they opted to start former 2018 fifth-round pick Mike White instead of Flacco.

White has four career starts – all last year. He famously threw for 405 yards and three scores in an upset of the Bengals. His final start had him pass for 251 yards and four interceptions. Garrett Wilson impressed regardless of the quarterback, but he was far more consistently productive with Flacco than Wilson. And Elijah Moore started the year with some fantasy value that disappeared once Wilson took over this year. White isn’t guaranteed anything more than a chance to start this week. He realizes just how important this opportunity is.

4.) QB Kyle Allen (HOU) – The Texans have switched from the once-promising Davis Mills to Kyle Allen who will debut on Sunday at the Dolphins. Allen has appeared in 21 games and the bulk of his career work was in 2019, when he started 12 games for the Panthers and threw 17 touchdowns against 16 interceptions. That was the breakout year for Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore,  who broke 100 yards in four games and finished with 87 catches for 1,175 yards. He was much better with D.J. Moore than Mills has been with Brandin Cooks.

He’ll face the Dolphins, so chances are high that the Texans will fall behind and need to pass. And there could be plenty of trash time at the end of the game. Both Cooks and Nico Collins disappointed after much better production last season. Allen gets a chance to renew his career.

5.) QB Matt Stafford (LAR) –  He won a Super Bowl last year. Nine months later, Stafford is on his second concussion in three weeks and there is speculation that he may retire early. He’s 35 years old and may be at that point where future health outweighs everything. The Rams have lost Cooper Kupp, which guts the receivers. Bryce Perkins was expected to start this week against the Chiefs but Wolford  was estimated to have a full practice on Thursday and may be over his neck injury.

Wolford started in Week 10 covering for Stafford after his first concussion and his only notable connection was with Tyler Higbee (8-73). Regardless of  which quarterback starts, the Rams will need to throw the ball more  and more as the game progresses. There is still some fantasy value left behind after Cooper Kupp left. And with Stafford looking very questionable for the rest of the season, Wolford is the only most likely to direct the Rams offense. The rest of their season starts this week.

6.)  RB Rachaad White (TB) – The fantasy world (or, more appropriately, the Rachaad White fantasy owners) wants to see White get a chance to take away at least most of the work  from Leonard Fournette as he’s been more productive lately. Fournette injured his hip during the game in Munich, Germany after running for 57 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries by the middle of the third quarter. White went on to gain 105 yards on 22 carries but never had a target.

HC Todd Bowles said this week that the team would ride the hot hand between Fournette and White. If Fournette remains bothered by his hip, this could look great for White playing at the No. 31 defense versus running backs (Cleveland). It is worth tracking this week, and White could buy more use in later games with this soft matchup. But the Buccaneers have a lot of money invested in Fournette who has an inescapable cap hit of $8.5 million next year. “Riding the hot hand” this week alone likely won’t create any lasting effects if White excels, regardless of what Twitter fires it may start.

Report: Texans to start QB Kyle Allen over Davis Mills against the Dolphins

The Houston Texans are reportedly going with Kyle Allen as their starting quarterback against the Miami Dolphins.

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The Houston Texans may be willing to move on from Davis Mills before the 2023 offseason gets underway.

According to Mike Garafolo from the NFL Network, the Texans are starting backup quarterback Kyle Allen over Mills when they take on the Miami Dolphins Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time from Hard Rock Stadium. This comes as coach Lovie Smith would not name the starter publicly in his Wednesday morning presser.

Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network followed up Garafolo’s tweet by stating Allen received first-team reps in practice. Brian Barefield of the Texans Wire says that Mills also received first-team reps in practice Wednesday.

In 2021, Mills went 0-6 to start his career as he played in relief of an injured Tyrod Taylor, who was nursing a strained hamstring. When Taylor returned, the Texans offense was atrocious and Mills was placed back into the lineup for the final five games. That stretch of the season resulted in Mills posting a 102.4 passer rating, a 9-2 touchdown to interception ratio, and a 2-3 record, including a 41-29 win over the playoff-hunting Los Angeles Chargers.

With seven games to go, the Texans may stay with Allen, especially since it appears they know what they have in Mills.

Report: Texans to start Kyle Allen over Davis Mills vs. Dolphins

It looks like Miami still won’t get a chance to face Davis Mills.

Through the first 10 games of the Houston Texans’ 2022 campaign, they’ve gone with second-year quarterback Davis Mills as the starter. In those games, they have a 1-9-1 record.

Now, ahead of their Week 12 matchup with the Miami Dolphins, they’ll be starting veteran backup Kyle Allen, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo.

Mills also didn’t appear in Miami and Houston’s 2021 matchup, as Tyrod Taylor had returned from injury in time to play in a game that resulted in a 17-9 victory for the Dolphins.

Allen has started 17 games in his career, most recently with Washington in 2020. He’s completed 63.1% of his attempts for 4,318 yards, 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions with an 84.9 passer rating.

This change does give Miami less time to prepare for a new quarterback. However, Mike McDaniel would probably say that they’re always prepping for any situation.

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Nico Collins on Davis Mills: ‘He’s the same guy’

Collins told reporters that Mills has been a rock through all of the #Texans’ struggles in 2022

The return of Nico Collins and Brandin Cooks to the Houston Texans’ starting lineup was supposed to be a boon for the team’s offense, but given the state of affairs at the quarterback position, their inclusion in the gameday roster hasn’t made much of a difference.

Collins spoke to reporters on Tuesday about the offense in general but touched specifically on Davis Mills’ character when asked how the signal-caller is adjusting to life under the microscope. Mills has faced constant criticism that, to hear Collins tell it, hasn’t affected him at all despite the Texans’ abysmal record.

“He’s the same guy,” Collins explained of Mills. “He never gets too high, never gets too low. He’s always positive, still positive. I’m pretty sure he knows, we watched the game film, there’s probably things on there he probably missed, but he’s on a mission this week to correct those. We know his mindset is keeping going. He’s never going to get down on himself.”

To be able to perform in the face of such virulent criticism is certainly a good quality for a quarterback to have, but fans in Houston are absolutely justified in feeling they deserve better than Mills can give them at this juncture. The Texans will be lucky to eke out one more win before the 2022 season ends, and even if they manage to their overall record will likely still be the NFL’s worst.

It has become clear over the past few weeks that head coach Lovie Smith has either decided or been directed to tank for draft position, ostensibly to draft Mills’ replacement next April. To what degree Mills’ role as the team’s starter is a decision based on fielding a competitive team or losing as many games as possible is unclear, but Collins’ comments to the media on Tuesday are a good indication that the quarterback isn’t taking any of this season’s chaos too personally.

Texans offense is hopeless without RB Dameon Pierce

Unless rookie running back Dameon Pierce is highly productive, the Houston Texans’ offense can go nowhere.

Washington clarified a truth about the Houston Texans’ offense in Week 11 at NRG Stadium. As the NFC East club battered Houston 23-10, running back Dameon Pierce tallied 10 carries for eight yards and caught two passes for nine more.

According to Jeff Kerr from CBS Sports, apart from Pierce, the Texans offense can do nothing.

Pierce has been the lone bright spot in Houston’s offense, leading all rookie backs in rushing yards entering Week 11. He had 10 carries for 8 yards in Sunday’s loss, making the Texans offense even less effective as he was taken out of the game plan. 

Davis Mills went 6 of 9 for 22 yards and an interception while Pierce had negative rushing yards in the first half, as the Texans had just 5 yards at halftime. Mills is just too inconsistent to bail Houston out when the run game goes away, and the result was a season low in total yards (148) and no chance to win. 

Houston needs to fix a lot on offense for 2023.

If this reality is evident to outsiders, it certainly is recognizable for the coaching staff.

According to coach Lovie Smith after the game, the Texans tried to give Pierce his touches, but Washington’s defensive line featuring Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, and Montez Sweat was too stingy.

“We tried to hit the edge a few times,” Smith said. “We tried to hit up front. We have been able to run the football each week. Even when there is disappointment, change the quarterback, you’re not passing enough, we’ve been able to run the football. Today, we weren’t able to run the football. Nothing else is really going to work when you can’t do that.”

Other teams will know that to stymy the Texans’ offense, it begins with shutting down Pierce. Mills and the passing game have to cultivate ways to take advantage of stacked boxes.

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Texans remain No. 32 in ESPN NFL power rankings after Week 11

The Houston Texans weren’t able to make any headway in the latest ESPN NFL power rankings for Week 11.

The Houston Texans have had elements on the team that haven’t lived up to expectations. How else could the club post a 1-8-1 record after 10 games?

The 23-10 loss to Washington at NRG Stadium was the latest example of a Houston team that can’t build off of any momentum and secure a victory in their home venue.

According to D.J. Bien-Aime from ESPN, the most underachieving element for the Texans has been quarterback Davis Mills, which is what rendered Houston No. 32 in the four-letter network’s power rankings to conclude Week 11.

Mills had an opportunity this season to prove he could be the signal-caller of the future. But he has regressed in a few important categories from his rookie campaign. Mills’ completion rate was 66% then, and it is 61.9% now. His passer rating is 10 points lower this year, and he has already thrown 11 interceptions, which has surpassed his rookie total of 10.

Part of what helped Mills was sitting for four games following his six starts in relief of starter Tyrod Taylor. When Taylor returned, the former 2015 Pro Bowler was a shadow of his old self, and the club returned to Mills for some improvement at the position. It worked as Mills posted a 2-3 record down the stretch with a 102.4 passer rating and a 9-2 touchdown to interception ratio. There was a glimmer of hope that Mills could improve if given all of the first-team reps.

Through 10 games, Mills may have regressed.

Across the rest of the AFC South, the Jacksonville Jaguars remained No. 26 as they were on a bye in Week 11. The Indianapolis Colts dropped one slot down to No. 22 following their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. By beating the Green Bay Packers, the Tennessee Titans jumped up 11 slots to No. 9.

Texans rank No. 32 in Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings for fourth straight week

The Houston Texans continue to rank as the worst team in the Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings for the fourth consecutive week.

The Houston Texans continue to be the worst team in the NFL.

According to Mark Lane from the Touchdown Wire, the Texans ranked No. 32 in the power rankings for the fourth consecutive week.

Coach Lovie Smith told reporters after the game that they weren’t going to make a quarterback change. So long as Davis Mills is under center for Houston — pending rookie running back Dameon Pierce doesn’t bust a 70-yarder on the opening drive — expect more of the same each week from the Texans. Is it draft season yet?

Smith told reporters on Nov. 21 that they will make any necessary changes as they see fit in preparation for the Miami Dolphins in Week 12.

“Have I watched the video a few different times? Yeah, and made some decisions on how we’re going to go forward,” Smith said. “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.”

At 1-8-1, the changes will have more of an impact of the team’s status in the 2023 NFL draft than it will actual playoff positioning.

Lovie Smith’s reactions exemplify what is wrong with Texans

Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith has been testy in his pressers, which is emblematic of where the 1-8-1 club is entering Week 12.

The Houston Texans are tanking.

Maybe they wouldn’t have a chance to win these games anyway, but either way, the team has made a conscious effort to lose games. It is the reality of the modern “trust the process” method of roster construction in sports, and the Texans are full-bore tanking to land a quarterback in the next draft.

What is frustrating, though, is the messaging behind the obvious decisions being made behind closed doors. Texans fans might feel better if the team outright told them about the strategy, but instead, they’re given a line by Houston’s head coach following every loss about how he is trying his hardest to coach his team to victory and it isn’t working.

In the Texans’ postgame press conference on Sunday things seemed to hit a tipping point. A reporter asked Lovie Smith why the team wasn’t better against Washington following the 23-10 loss, and the coach was at the end of his rope.

“I’m not going to tell you that, all right? What do you expect me to say right now? We just got beat,” Smith explained with evident annoyance. “Now, if there was something that we should have done right away, we would have done that right away. We’re working with our football team. We’re searching for answers is what we’re doing. We’ll keep working on different combinations.”

The part that Smith left out is that, at this point in their season, winning accomplishes nothing for the team that signs his paychecks. They’d be doing themselves a disservice by playing competitive football and taking any chance in squandering their shot at a first-overall pick that could turn into their next franchise quarterback.

This isn’t rocket science; it is just a harsh reality. Smith won’t be “working on different combinations” and he isn’t really “searching for answers” beyond figuring out new and creative ways to lose. His decision to give Dameon Pierce 10 carries and no more speaks for itself.

At this point, the only thing Texans fans will get out of the 2022 season is more despair, and as long as the team gets another chance to land a franchise quarterback, they’re quite all right with any bad blood that may create between themselves and the Houston faithful.

The Texans are already prepared to give up on Davis Mills and Bryce Young is standing on deck

The star Alabama quarterback should probably start finding his home in Houston ASAP.

At 1-8-1, the Houston Texans are firmly entrenched with the worst record in the NFL. And unlike other fellow bottom-feeding teams — they don’t appear to have the long-term answer at quarterback, even despite their rampant struggles.

There was potentially 2021 third-rounder Davis Mills, but the second-year signal-caller has regressed to the mean this season (or stayed at the same level of average?). His play (complete with an 11 to 11 touchdown to interception ratio) hasn’t necessarily been a net negative for Houston, but it hasn’t helped the NFL’s worst team much, either.

As such, with the Texans preparing for their 2022 season stretch run, head coach Lovie Smith appears ready to pull the plug on the Mills developmental experiment.

Oof. For a guy that once stood by Rex Grossman in an NFC-winning season in Chicago, that does not sound like someone enthused by Mills’ potential or future. Especially if he wants to turn to Kyle Allen.

You know what that means: Bryce Young, presumed No. 1 overall pick in 2023 — your table is ready.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. There are still seven games to decide who will have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. But at the moment, Houston has a two-game “lead” on the Panthers for pole position and has the best odds to finish with the least amount of wins with BetMGM. That should all but cement a likely selection of Young in April.

It’s been a bleak season in Houston, with few bright spots. Getting a potential franchise quarterback like Young amidst the frustrating chaos would be one heck of a way to build optimism and an exciting foundation for the future.