The Houston Texans are crossing their fingers with Ryan Mallett. Head coach Bill O'Brien told the media that at this point all things are on the table when it comes to trying an improve their record, so a switch at quarterback was the first move made. Mallett had a lot of hype surrounding him in the offseason and the Texans are confident that it was for a good reason as he prepares to make his first start in a regular season game in Week 11.
Mallett is preparing to face off against his former teammate Brian Hoyer as the Texans take on the Cleveland Browns Sunday. Hoyer has seen plenty of success this season and Mallett is hoping that he can get some of the same after sitting behind Tom Brady for the past three years. The Texans traded for Mallett to give them quarterback insurance should Ryan Fitzpatrick struggle. The move was wise as the backup now takes over the offense.
"I'm excited," O'Brien said, via the Houston Chronicle. "This is his opportunity to go out there and lead this team, and he's excited ... and we're looking forward to seeing what he can do."
Mallett has high expectations to meet, some set on his own accord. The quarterback recently tweeted out that he was ready whenever his number was called, something that many believed was his way of begging for playing time. Now Mallett has a chance to show off what he has been working so hard for. The quarterback told the media that he spent most of the bye week doing film study on the Cleveland Browns who currently rank first in the division.
"Obviously I'm ready for Sunday to get here," Mallett said, via ESPN.com. "I'm ready to play. It gave me time to really watch a lot of the film, a lot of the games they played this year and some last year. It's been good for me as far as a mental standpoint. Studying and that stuff. ... I mean, it gives you a sense of calm or whatever. You're not rushing, you have time to thoroughly digest what they're doing."
The Texans have plenty of faith that Mallett can step up as quarterback against a tough team. Running back Arian Foster is healthy and ready to play while Andre Johnson continues to stress that no matter who is playing at quarterback, everyone must do their job in order to get a win.
"Whoever is at quarterback, it doesn't matter," Johnson said. "We all have to go out and do our jobs. It's not just going to be about him. It's going to be about all of us. All of us need to step our game up and go out and play the way we know how to play."
