HOUSTON — Rookie quarterback Davis Mills will make his first NFL start for the Houston Texans, Thursday night, against the 2-0 Carolina Panthers at NRG Stadium.
Mills will replace Tyrod Taylor under center, who sustained a significant hamstring injury against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. And after being placed on injured reserve, the Texans will be without their starting quarterback for at least three weeks.
The Texans are taking a considerable risk starting an unproven quarterback against a Panthers’ defense that has already recorded 10 sacks through the first two games. But David Culley is confident in his decision to start Mills based on his play during the preseason.
“I really felt like he had some tough moments during the pre-season where he came back and showed that he had some maturity about him — a lot more maturity than you would probably see in a rookie,” Culley said prior to Tuesday’s practice. “We know he’s a rookie quarterback, but we’ll help him out and we’ll do things to make sure that all other 10 guys around him are doing their job to be able to keep him upright and keep him comfortable.”
With the news that Davis Mills will start vs. the Panthers on Thursday, I asked Tytus Howard (.@levelstothis_2) is there a difference between blocking for a mobile QB like Taylor vs. a more traditional QB like Mills.
His response: "Davis is more athletic than he seems." #Texans pic.twitter.com/GdfNS47ZDo
— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) September 21, 2021
Mills played a bulk of the quarterback snaps during the preseason, as the 2021 third-round prospect from Stanford led the Texans to a 2-1 record. He completed 48 percent of his passes for 333 yards to go along with four interceptions and two touchdowns.
But Mills’ on-field productivity during the preseason came while playing Houston’s opponents’ second string players at best.
The second half of Houston’s 31-21 loss to the Browns was the only time Mills experience playing against quality NFL talent. He appeared in five drives to record an interception and a touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks, and added 102 total yards while going 8-for-18 from the field.
Despite his null play, Culley insists Mills is ready to fill Taylor’s void against the Panthers.
“When he went in the game this past week, it had nothing to do with other than the one time that they got him on a blitz,” he said. “He executed very well. I just think he’ll be a lot more comfortable now, simply because he has been out there and against a very good defensive football team.”
With Taylor scheduled to miss nearly a month, the Texans will elevate Jeff Driskel from the practice squad to backup Mills.
Culley said the Texans will consider whether or not they will add a quarterback to the roster following their Week 3 match against the Panthers. Former star quarterback Deshaun Watson will remain deactivated.