O’Brien receives Hoyer’s backing
ATLANTA —
Even though he was benched in the first game of the
2015 season and released the following April, former Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer believes the team can win a Super Bowl with Bill O’Brien and also endorses him as their play-caller.
Hoyer, who is back in New England as Tom Brady’s backup, played for O’Brien for three seasons (2009-11) when they worked together with the Patriots. The Texans signed Hoyer to be their starting quarterback in 2015, O’Brien’s second season as their coach.
As for O’Brien being a coach who can help the Texans win a Super Bowl, Hoyer didn’t hesitate with his response during a Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII in-
terview session.
“Yeah, he’s capable of doing that,” he said. “I don’t think that’s out of the realm of possibility, for sure. I think Billy’s done a good job over the years, from the year (2015) I was there, making the playoffs, and from there on out.”
The Texans have won the AFC South title three times in O’Brien’s five seasons, but his teams won only one playoff game.
In 2015, O’Brien benched Hoyer during the season opener in favor of Ryan Mallett. When Mallett was injured, Hoyer returned to the lineup and helped the Texans finish 9-7. In nine starts, he passed for 2,606 yards and 19 touchdowns, completing 60.7 percent to go with seven interceptions.
In a 30-0 loss to Kansas City in the wild-card matchup at NRG Stadium, Hoyer had a terrible game, throwing for 136 yards and four interceptions. He was waived in April after the Texans signed Brock Osweiler.
No hard feelings
Obviously, there are no hard feelings on Hoyer’s part. He wouldn’t have offered so much praise of O’Brien if he harbored any ill will.
“He’s a smart coach,” Hoyer said. “His players have a lot of respect for him. I know that for sure. They’re always in the playoff race except for (2017) when Deshaun (Watson) was hurt. And they made it this year.
“I wasn’t surprised at all by what they did this season, but I know it didn’t end the way they wanted it to.”
The Texans finished 11-5 and won another division title before losing 21-7 to Indianapolis in the wild-card game at NRG Stadium.
“When I was there, we had a good team,” Hoyer said. “When you’re shuffling quarterbacks around, it’s never easy on anybody, but we competed through that.
“Now they have Deshaun, and they had a good season.”
Hoyer, who’s in his second consecutive Super Bowl with the Patriots, was asked what he thinks of O’Brien as a play-caller. He was told fans and media have urged O’Brien to hire an offensive coordinator and give up calling plays.
“I wish he’d been calling plays when I was there, in all honesty,” Hoyer said about former offensive coordinator George Godsey doing so in 2015. “(O’Brien) didn’t call any plays when I was there.
“I think that’s proven, I really do. He’s got a good system, and he knows his system very well. He knows how to get players in position to make plays.”
O’Brien is in the process of hiring someone to replace quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan, who was hired by Detroit to fill the same position with the Lions. O’Brien is not expected to give up play-calling next season.
‘A very detailed coach’
Hoyer thinks that’s a good decision.
“When you’re the play-caller, you’re always trying to get the best out of guys, whoever your personnel may be,” he said. “I think he proved that when I played with (him in) New England, and he proved that when I was there with him in Houston and with the guys he has there now.
“Billy’s a very detailed coach, and that’s what you need.”
After spending five seasons with Bill Belichick and four with O’Brien, Hoyer was asked if he sees any similarities in the coaches?
“There’s definitely some carryover, but nobody’s a carbon copy of someone else,” he said. “Billy’s his own man. He has his own personality, and that’s a good thing.”