Ryan Mallett might not have been lobbying to get the starting job for the Houston Texans, but it appears to have worked. The Texans have been struggling to put together wins and the blame is mostly being placed on their offense. Despite having three of the best weapons in the NFL, Houston cannot seem to find the endzone as Ryan Fitzpatrick struggles on the field. Now it is Mallett's turn to step up and prove whether or not he is starting quarterback potential.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Bill O'Brien announced that Mallett would be taking over as starter after the bye week. This comes after the backup tweeted out his desire for a chance to play, but promptly deleted it as drama ensued. Mallett claimed the tweet was in no way him lobbying for the starting quarterback job, but more so him declaring his abilities.
"All I'm trying to do is be ready and get better ," Mallett said, via Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle. "I always prepare like I'm the starter. I played behind Tom Brady. Obviously, I didn't play much, but I prepared the same every week. I don't expect anything less of myself." "(The first tweet) kind of got misconstrued a little bit. All I was saying is I'm ready. Just like Mark. If Mark wasn't ready when Nick went down, it might not have gone that way for the Eagles. All I'm trying to do is be ready and get better. I wasn't taking a shot at anybody. Like we said, (coach Bill O'Brien) said, we're not going down the social media thing. We're past it. I'm not worried about it. I'm just trying to get rested up, get ready for Cleveland, prepare for them and try to get another win."
Now Mallett has a chance to prove himself and that hard work he has put in. O'Brien said during his recent press conference, "This might be the thing that helps our team. I might be wrong." The Texans play in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns who can test Mallett in his first start. This is why the Texans made the trade for the quarterback in the first place, so the pressure is on the quarterback to prove his worth.
Andre Johnson is certainly hopeful that Mallett is the real deal. The wide receiver continues to be outspoken regarding his disdain for the direction the Texans are headed in. Johnson has continued to question his future with the franchise and could be lobbying for a trade come the offseason. If Mallett can get the Texans a win or two, it might make players like Johnson, Arian Foster and DeAndre Hopkins a little more pleasant for the remainder of the season.
