HOUSTON -- Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien cautioned everyone not to read too much into who started the preseason opener. He went with Brian Hoyer for one series and then Ryan Mallett for the rest of the first half. It's possible Hoyer might have played longer had his first series gone differently, but he orchestrated a quick score.
His first pass was a bit late, and Alan Bonner couldn't get a hand on it. But a few plays later, Hoyer threw a well-timed ball to Cecil Shorts coming across the middle. Shorts got behind one defender and outran the rest for a 58-yard touchdown reception. It was well-executed all around, but the next play was even more impressive. Hoyer threw a decisive pass to DeAndre Hopkins for a two-point conversion that Hopkins had to wrestle away from his defender. That was it for Hoyer.
Mallett's first drive wasn't quite as successful, but for reasons out of his control. His numbers were good. He completed his first eight passes and finished with 10 of 11 passes completed for 90 yards.
QB depth chart: Both quarterbacks had nice outings in the Texans' preseason opener. O'Brien could give Mallett the start next week against the Denver Broncos.
Maybe that dude could start: In the second half, quarterback Tom Savage made a nice back-shoulder throw to rookie receiver Jaelen Strong for the Texans' second touchdown of the game. Savage is likely to sit behind Hoyer and Mallett this year, but Strong is someone the Texans drafted with the hope he'd become a starter. He showed signs he could get there in this game.
Who got hurt? The Texans came out of this one without any new injuries. Mallett was late coming out of the halftime locker room, but didn't appear injured.
A surprise player who looks amazing: I hesitate to use superlatives like "amazing" during preseason games. The Texans had many solid performances, including one from Savage, albeit against reserve defensive players. Savage showed nice mobility in the pocket. He showed a command of the offense. Overall, his throws were accurate. He did have one fumbled snap late in the game though.
Rookie watch: Strong caught a touchdown pass and receiver Chandler Worthy had kickoff returns of 20 and 30 yards. Linebacker Benardrick McKinney led the defense with four tackles and two special teams tackles, though he also got beat on the touchdown the Texans allowed.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Texans looked ...: The first drive was well executed and balanced. Second-year running back Alfred Blue had one nice run up the middle for 14 yards.
One reason to freak out, good or bad: They might not have Andre Johnson anymore, but collectively this might be the best receiver group the Texans have ever had. There's a depth there that just hasn't existed for most of the franchise's history.
Defensive stars get the night off: J.J. Watt, Johnathan Joseph and Vince Wilfork all got the night off. Most of the Texans' defensive starters played very little.
O-line shuffle: The Texans had their regular starters on their first drive -- left tackle Duane Brown, left guard Jeff Adams (in for an injured Xavier Su'a-Filo), center Ben Jones, right guard Brandon Brooks and right tackle Derek Newton. On the second drive, Newton moved to left tackle, Jones to left guard, James Ferentz came in at center, Brooks stayed at right guard and Adams moved to left tackle.