Tag: davis mills

4 considerations if Texans were to trade for 49ers QB Trey Lance

If the Houston Texans were to trade for San Francisco 49ers QB Trey Lance, here are four considerations that would have be taken in.

Anyone in the NFL knows Brock Purdy is the San Francisco 49ers’ new starting quarterback. Don’t let the elbow injury and PCL surgery be a distraction.

The 49ers also signed former New York Jets and Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold in free agency. The former 2018 first-rounder won’t exactly be competing for the starting job, but he could prove to be an effective backup for Purdy.

If the 49ers intend for Darnold to be Purdy’s backup, where does that leave Trey Lance, their former 2021 No. 3 overall pick?

That is the question NFL teams are asking San Francisco. If the Texans are among the number of teams asking general manager John Lynch about a deal, here are four considerations Houston has to keep in mind.

Texans’ Davis Mills lands No. 29 on 33rd Team way too early QB power rankings

The Houston Texans’ Davis Mills ranked No. 29 in @The33rdTeamFB’s way too early QB power rankings.

How does one spot way too early power rankings? Just see who is the presumptive starting quarterback for the Houston Texans.

According to Matt Cassel from the 33rd Team, the Texans’ Davis Mills is the 29th-best starting quarterback in the former Pro Bowler’s admittedly way to early power rankings.

It’s hard to quantify what Davis Mills can accomplish as a quarterback. Can he be a starter? I need to see more reps before I make that claim. Mills might not get that chance with the Houston Texans this season because they’re likely to use the second-overall pick on a new quarterback.

Where Mills may find success is as a backup. If the Texans indeed select a first-round quarterback, Mills’ new challenge will be to ward off any free agent veteran from taking the backup job. It should be a task that Mills would be able to win given his 26 starts among 28 games active in his two-year career.

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This quote from Davis Mills gives more insight into Tim Kelly’s offense

A 2022 quote from Texans QB Davis Mills helps shed light on what Titans OC Tim Kelly’s offense will ask of a quarterback pre-snap.

Before he became the passing-game coordinator and then the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans, Tim Kelly spent seven years on the coaching staff of the Houston Texans, three of which was spent as OC.

In the wake of Tennessee promoting Kelly, we’ve been trying to get a better grasp on how he’ll handle things on offense.

The best place to get an idea of Kelly’s approach comes via Zach Lyons of Broadway Sports Media, who did a great breakdown of Kelly upon Tennessee hiring him in 2022.

We also have this quote from Texans quarterback Davis Mills, who played under and had success with Kelly in 2021.

In the quote, which comes from our friends at Texans Wire, Mills talks about the difference between a Kelly-run offense and the one he played under with Pep Hamilton in 2022.

One big difference? Kelly puts more on the quarterback pre-snap.

“[Tim Kelly’s offense is] completely quarterback-driven pre-snap and the big focus from Pep when he stepped in this role was he wants to take as much off the quarterback as he can so we can play fast,” Mills said. “Obviously, we have a lot of control in making sure we’re in the correct protection and the correct mike point, basically confirming or changing anything, but the center does the initial point and making the initial calls. So, that takes a lot off my plate, especially in the run game. We can go out there and play fast when the center is pointing it.”

While it makes sense to ask a bit less of a young quarterback like Mills, the former third-round pick actually took a step back in his second season with Hamilton at the helm as opposed to his first with Kelly.

Assuming Kelly’s approach is the same as it was in Houston, he’s going to put more on the shoulders of his quarterback, which could make for a steeper learning curve for a young signal-caller if the Titans actually land one.

However, Kelly’s track record of success with both Mills and Deshaun Watson shows young quarterbacks can be just fine with that approach.

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Houston Texans are the most QB needy team heading in 2023 offseason

Heading into the 2023 offseason, the Houston Texans are the neediest team in the NFL when it comes to quarterback.

Typically 3-13-1 records are emblematic of team problems, but the Houston Texans have a big problem they need to fix in the 2023 offseason.

According to Trevor Sikkema from Pro Football Focus, the Texans rank at the top of his list of QB needy teams.

Among the Texans’ many roster woes, quarterback is at the top. Second-year signal-caller Davis Mills did show improvement this season, but it was very marginal, increasing his season passing grade from 58.5 to 61.9. With the 2023 NFL Draft’s No. 2 overall pick in hand, expect the Texans to target that position.

Mills went 3-11-1 as a starter. The Texans benched the former 2021 third-rounder from Weeks 12-13 due to poor performance, but Kyle Allen was significantly worse as the offense committed eight turnovers in that span. When Mills returned to the lineup, he had a 6-4 touchdown to interception ratio and an 80.4 passer rating. Houston also went 2-3 down the stretch with close losses against the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys. Mills led the Texans on fourth quarter comebacks against the Tennessee Titans in Week 16 and the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18 — both on the road.

The Texans are expected to use their No. 2 overall pick to take Alabama quarterback Bryce Young as the Chicago Bears don’t need a quarterback at No. 1 overall. However, the Bears may entertain offers, and the Colts, who are No. 4 overall, would have to weigh the cost of jumping the Texans to take Young, or whoever they perceive to be the best quarterback on the board with Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis also declaring for the draft.

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Texans finish No. 32 in Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings

The Houston Texans placed No. 32 in the Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings to conclude the 2022 regular season.

The Week 18 win over the Indianapolis Colts cost the Houston Texans.

According to Mark Lane from the Touchdown Wire, the win was part of the reason why the Texans finished No. 32 in the power rankings — what with losing the No. 1 overall pick and all.

Just when Houston sports fans were counting on the Texans do what they knew best and lose, quarterback Davis Mills pulls off a fourth quarter comeback and hits tight end Jordan Akins for a game-winning touchdown on fourth-and-20 and again for the ensuing two-point conversion. The Texans lost the No. 2 overall pick, Lovie Smith lost his job, and general manager Nick Caserio’s seat got a little warmer as he partakes in his third coaching search in as many offseasons on the job.

Houston finished as the last place team in Touchdown Wire’s power rankings eight times throughout the regular season, and it wasn’t hard to imagine why. The Texans had a “non-winning” streak of four to start the season, and then a nine-game losing streak before finishing the season 2-1 in their last three.

The Texans have big questions to answer in the offseason, such as who will even coach the team. Houston also has to look at upgrading at quarterback as Mills clearly is not the answer, no matter how well he appeared to play once returning to the starting job in Week 14.

Houston also has trouble on defense in terms of philosophy. They may have impactful pieces with cornerback Derek Stingley, safety Jalen Pitre, linebacker Christian Harris, and even defensive end Jonathan Greenard. However, the Tampa 2 didn’t work out for Houston in stopping the run or generating a consistent pass rush. The takeaways were at least there as Houston finished tied for the fourth-most in the league with 27.

Across the rest of the division in the power rankings, the Colts finished No. 29. The Tennessee Titans ranked No. 21. The AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars finished No. 8.

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Texans QB Davis Mills nominated for FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week

Houston Texans QB Davis Mills has been nominated for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week for his efforts in the win over the Indianapolis Colts.

The Houston Texans beat the Indianapolis Colts, and their quarterback is earning recognition for his performance.

After leading the Texans to a 32-31 fourth quarter comeback and game-winning drive at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 18, quarterback Davis Mills has been nominated as a FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week.

Mills completed 22 of 38 attempts for 298 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions along with an 87.4 passer rating. The second-year signal caller heaved a 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Akins on a fourth-and-20 with 58 seconds remaining. The Texans also picked up the two-point conversion — again with Mills to Akins — to beat their AFC South rivals, marking the first time since 2016 they had a better record in the season series.

Throughout the NFL season FedEx gives fans the chance to recognize high-level performances from quarterbacks with their Air nominees and great games from running backs with FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week nominees.

Voting is open until Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. Central Time at NFL.com/FedEx each week of the season. Fans can also vote on Twitter via the @NFL published polls and on the NFL Mobile App.

If Mills wins the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week Award, FedEx will make a $2,000 donation in his name to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

Other nominees include Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, who completed 13 of 24 attempts for 283 yards, three touchdowns, and posted a 118.6 passer rating.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen went 19-of-31 for 254 yards, three touchdowns, and a 106.1 passer rating.

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Texans QB Davis Mills admits game-winning TD pass to TE Jordan Akins was ‘lucky’

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills says his game-winning touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Akins had an element of being “lucky” in Week 18.

The Houston Texans were in a familiar place down by a touchdown and facing a fourth-and-20 from the Indianapolis Colts’ 28-yard line.

The Texans trailed 31-24 to the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Houston had lost six games by one score. How was Week 18 going to be any different?

“We’re motioning to empty and everyone is basically running down the field and getting in the end zone,” quarterback Davis Mills said. “I’ve got to buy enough time to find somebody who’s open. I felt like everybody was pretty much covered.”

Mills threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Akins, his second scoring grab of the game. The touchdown pulled Houston within one of the Colts, 31-30, with 58 seconds left in the game.

“They did a good job defending it, dropping a lot of guys deep, and kind of just threw one up to Jordan, and he ended up making a play,” said Mills. “It was awesome.”

Mills, who went 22-of-38 for 298 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions, knew that the end zone was going to be crowded on what was presumably the Texans’ last offensive play of the game.

“I think they covered him, there might have been two or three guys around him, but I thought he was my best guy to go up and make a play right there and trusted him to do that, and he scored,” Mills said. “It was awesome.”

Mills admitted that the last play had an element of fortune to it along with some skill.

“Sometimes it boils down to that,” Mills said. “You’ve got to get lucky.”

The desperation touchdown was followed up by a two-point conversion from the Texans. Mills found Akins, and the Texans ended up winning the game 32-31, and giving the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft to the Chicago Bears.

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A miraculous Texans TD on 4th and 20 gave the Bears the No. 1 overall pick, and NFL fans couldn’t believe it

An unbelievable play that meant EVERYTHING to Justin Fields and Chicago.

The last matchup of the 2022 season between the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts had a lot riding it on for the futures of all three teams.

With a Colts loss, the Chicago Bears — who already have the brilliant Justin Fields — would secure the No. 1 overall pick, Houston would settle in at No. 2, and Indianapolis would guarantee a position in the top five. And for a while, thanks to Sam Ehlinger, it looked like this reality would come to pass.

But with just 50 seconds remaining, the Texans trailed the Colts 31-24 and faced a seemingly impossible 4th and 20. The Bears’ dream of sitting atop the NFL Draft pecking order looked washed away. That is until Davis Mills launched a desperate Hail Mary into the end zone … that Jordan Akins came down with.

Uh … WHAT??

Of course, the Texans still had to either tie the game with an extra point or see Lovie Smith elect for the win instead. Smith and Co. decided to leave it all on the field with a dynamite two-point conversion:

My goodness. What a barn-burning thriller of a finale for a matchup between two teams with a combined seven wins. And with the Bears now officially holding the No. 1 overall pick with Justin Fields already in tow, what a potentially very significant outcome for part of the NFL’s future.

WATCH: Texans QB Davis Mills throws TD pass to TE Jordan Akins against the Colts

Houston Texans QB Davis Mills threw a touchdown pass to TE Jordan Akins in the third quarter in Week 18 against the Indianapolis Colts.

Davis Mills may be replaced as starting quarterback in 2023, but he continues to show his development and growth as an NFL quarterback.

The Houston Texans’ starter threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Akins on third-and-8 with 3:57 to go in the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 18.

The touchdown catch was Akins’ fourth of the season, continuing to extend his single-season high. The former 2018 third-rounder had two catches for 34 yards and a score after that play.

Akins had 33 catches for 425 yards and three touchdowns through 14 games, three of which he started, coming into Week 18.

 

WATCH: Texans WR Brandin Cooks catches a touchdown pass against the Colts

Houston Texans receiver Brandin Cooks caught the first touchdown pass of the game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18.

Brandin Cooks hasn’t had a great year, but he is ending the 2022 campaign on a high note.

The former New Orleans Saints 2014 first-round pick was instrumental on the Houston Texans’ opening drive, which he started off with a 33-yard catch and punctuated with an 11-yard touchdown catch Sunday afternoon against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Cooks’ touchdown catch was his third of the season.

The Texans are in a predicament as a win would cost them the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. However, the Texans pay Cooks to catch touchdown passes and make plays, not be the general manager.