LET THE SEARCH COMMENCE
If the Texans ever desire to be great, they need to find the next franchise quarterback
Three weeks into the Texans season and what have we learned?
David Culley’s team is tough. This is a group that doesn’t fold easily.
Lovie Smith can energize a defense. While so far this season the Texans have given up just a field goal less than they did a year ago, the defense has performed dramatically better.
Those hold well for this season, in terms of watchability.
When it comes to winning and losing, Culley’s inexperience and his team’s talent level will keep it from winning more than it loses, even if Smith’s defense is slightly better than average.
Now, if the Texans had a little luck and a good quarterback …?
Oh, wait, they do have the latter, but he isn’t playing.
Tyrod Taylor is out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury.
He led the Texans to victory in the season opener against Jacksonville, left at halftime the next week at Cleveland because of the injured leg, and didn’t play in Thursday’s loss to the Panthers.
Were Taylor healthy, the Texans could very well be 3-0.
Oh yeah, the Texans could be unbeaten if Deshaun Watson were on the field, not just on the team.
As it is, with Davis Mills playing quarterback, discussion of the future will overtake the present.
At the risk of a social media creation such as @OldTakesExposed calling me out a few years from now, Mills is not the guy.
And that’s OK. It is rare for a player drafted in the third round to become a star-level quarterback.
Having watched the Texans’ rookie through preseason, halfa-game at Cleveland and the entire loss to Carolina this past Thursday, he looks like a solid backup and perhaps, one day, he will be a competent starter on a middling team.
Good for him.
In three preseason games and 80 regular-season snaps, Mills has yet to wow. I’m not talking about overall. This is a microanalysis.
He hasn’t had a single display of over-the-top ability, or greatness.
A lot of good, OK, and decent, but nothing special.
My being right about this, an element of life with which I am quite accustomed to, means the Texans are in quarterbacksearch mode.
If the Texans desire to be better than average, they must do better.
The Texans are going to be underdogs in all of their games until their bye week. That’s six weeks of games that will be difficult to win.
Despite the fight in this team, expect a dreadful stretch between now and Thanksgiving.
Now is a good time to start preparing yourself for the next quarterback, by watching those who are projected to be among the top quarterbacks in next year’s draft. If you wait until Thanksgiving, the college season will be all but over.
The Ghost of Texans’ Future has eyes on one of these guys.
Nevada’s Carson Strong, Spencer Rattler of Oklahoma, Sam Howell of North Carolina, Liberty’s Malik Willis and Kedon Slovis of Southern California. None is a can’t-miss prospect. There will not be a Hall of Fame quarterback taken in the next draft. The odds of even a Super Bowl-winning QB entering the league in 2022 are low.
Watson has a better shot at winning a title than any signal caller on the next draft board.
His scandalous behavior ruined what could have been. From Mr. Nice Guy to Public Enemy No. 4.
Houston has lacked a Super bowl-caliber QB for most of its pro football-playing years.
Before my time, in the preSuper Bowl era, George Blanda was the guy. Warren Moon was the next closest we saw to a championship-level quarterback before Watson came along. Each gave us hope.
Blanda had played a full NFL career, and retired, before joining the AFL Oilers in 1960. Moon starred for six years in the Canadian Football League before signing with the Oilers in 1984.
Watson came here fresh out of college and blew it.
Despite having the best statistical season in Houston pro history last year, Watson will be traded, thanks in large part to almost two dozen women having filed civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct.
Moon hit town 34 years after Blanda. Watson showed up 33 years after Moon. And the next one?
As for long-suffering Houston football fans, 2050 … 2050! … is far too long to wait for H-Town’s next keep-hope-alive quarterback.
But they have no choice in this.
Sadly, watching Mills develop into being a good quarterback is just part of the waiting game.
Watson not being the guy many of us thought he would be will always hurt.