Against the Bills, Mills has orders
Coaches want rookie quarterback to execute offense, not do too much
Quarterback
Davis Mills is getting advice from all directions as he approaches the second start of his rookie season against the Buffalo Bills.
Mills’ head must be spinning when he tries to absorb the instructions he’s getting from his coaches.
Coach David Culley: “Basically, just don’t turn it over.”
Quarterback coach Pep Hamilton: “Just execute the offense.”
Offensive coordinator Tim Kelly: “Don’t try to do too much.”
So how much is too much for a quarterback with six quarters of NFL playing experience?
With a running game in desperate need of a jump start and a defense with the overwhelming challenge of trying to contain quarterback Josh Allen, Mills will have to take some risks. If he isn’t allowed to, the Texans could get blown out by one of the NFL’s best teams.
The key is when will Mills be allowed to take some risks? That’s up to Kelly, who calls the plays.
Kelly can play it safe as he did in the loss to Carolina, when Mills was undergoing a feeling-out process. Kelly can try to protect an inexperienced quarterback again. Or he can open up the passing game depending on down, distance and where the offense has the ball.
For instance, when the Texans are close to midfield or in Buffalo territory, maybe Kelly will call for some shots down the field. If Kelly believes the pass protection can hold up long enough for Mills to locate receivers down the field, let it rip.
“I don’t think anything was really closed off in the first game,” Mills said Wednesday about his first start against Carolina, a 24-9 defeat. “Whatever they’re comfortable calling when I’m in there, I’m really to roll with it.”
Unlike last week when the Texans played the Panthers on Thursday night, Mills will have a full week of practice for the Bills. Coming off the bench at halftime to replace the injured Tyrod Taylor in a 31-21 loss at Cleveland preceding his first start should boost Mills’ confidence.
“The big part of the game slowing down for a quarterback is having a big understanding of what you’re running on offense and what the defense is doing and how you can attack that,” Mills said. “It comes with more and more film study, reps with the offense and being comfortable with all the guys around me.”
Mills’ first start was against a Carolina defense that ranked first in every significant statistic. Buffalo’s defense isn’t too shabby. The Bills are fourth in defense, including seventh against the run and fourth against the pass.
“They’ve got a lot of experienced dudes on their defense,” Mills said. “A lot of their guys have been in their system for a while, and they do what they do at a high level.”
A level so high the Bills finished 13-3 last season, and they’re off to a 2-1 start this season.
“Let’s spread the ball around and get the ball to our playmakers in space and let them win their one-on-ones,” Mills said.
It would benefit Mills tremendously if the Texans can run the ball for the first time since the opening victory over Jacksonville. Another 42-yard performance like they produced against Carolina won’t cut it.
“Starting the running game strong will always allow you to open up the passing game,” Mills said. “Emphasis on the run game is going to be big (against Buffalo).”
Culley knows what he wants to see from Mills against the Bills.
“Get off to a fast start,” he said. “Be comfortable in what he’s doing, and stay the course when adversity happens. I feel like he’ll do that because he’s shown that.
“He needs to execute the offense, do what he’s asked to do and get us in the end zone. We’re going to run the offense and let him execute it and see what happens.”
Culley, Kelly and Hamilton have a combined 50 years of NFL coaching experience, so they know the importance of having patience with young quarterbacks like Mills, who started only 11 games at Stanford.
“The thing you don’t want to do is to rush them,” Culley said. “You don’t want to make them feel like they have to make the plays all the time.
“At that position, they control the ball 99 percent of the time when you’re on offense. It’s going to be in their hands, and you want them to be good decision-makers and do the right thing with the ball.”
Mills didn’t turn it over against the Panthers, and he helped the Texans pull within 17-9 in the fourth quarter. If he doesn’t turn it over at Buffalo, perhaps the Texans will prove they deserved more respect than they’ve received as a 16 ½-point underdog.