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| Mallett will have surgery on torn pec. Photo Credit: Troy Taormina/ USA Today Sports |
Ryan Mallet's audition for the Texans starting QB job has unfortunately come to an abrupt end.
By: Michael Hanley
According to The Houston Chronicle, Mallett has a torn pectoral muscle after getting the injury in Sunday's game vs. the Bengals. Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the starter for the remainder of the season for Houston.
To his credit he was able to play through the pain of that injury and quarterback the team for the entire game but teammates could tell that he was not quite right in terms of his accuracy and velocity of his throws. He had windows to throw to against the Bengals defense but either threw them way too high for the targeted receiver to get or under threw them badly and way wide of the target.
At first glance I thought he was just having a rough day at the office as any rookie quarterback in the NFL experiences in their debut season. This was not an easy defense for Mallett to go up against either. Cincinnati has talent across the board in their defense and play a very aggressive style that can really put allot of pressure on the offensive line but especially the quarterback who is trying to figure out when they are coming and with how many.
It was going to be chalked up as a learning experience for him and something to get better from. Unfortunately after today's news, all that focus will firs t be going to that rehabilitation phase to go through before he can worry about improving as a quarterback and being good enough to be the starter for Houston.
Mallett finished his two game stint as the Texans starter 41 for 75 for 400 yards passing, including two touchdown passes and one interception. That is barely anything to really comb over and make any serious judgements on about Mallett. He showed flashes of what he can be when he lead an impressive victory over the Browns in Cleveland against one of the more physical defenses in the league. He showcased his ability to throw over the top of a defense, be able to go through his progressions and find the open man and make an accurate pass to the targeted receiver.
These are qualities that are very sought after and needed in order for a young quarterback to develop at a steady clip.Bill O' Brien and his staff have a QB that can handle their offense and be able to maximize it unlike fellow starter Ryan Fitzpatrick can with his lack of a big arm.
If Mallett can comeback healthy and ready for the start of training camp next summer, their is no reason why he cannot win the starting quarterback job and be able to lead this team back to being a contender in the AFC.
The surrounding cast is talented and has experience which will no doubt help further Mallett's development.They all will be much more at ease when it comes to understanding the offense and its concepts. That will eliminate the time needed to get on the same page and learn the basics of this particular offense.
All the time can then be used for Mallett and the skill players to get in sync with one another, develop that chemistry that is so crucial to have especially when in the heat of the game and need to get a quick score or whatever game situation comes up and that communication between both parties is needed.
This will come with time though and from all of this, the Texans could potentially find that long awaited franchise quarterback that can lead them for the next ten years or so. So as this setback hits Mallett and the Texans, it doe snot takeaway from what can be a very promising and successful future together.
Follow me on Twitter: @Magic20099
