HOUSTON -- When Houston Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer reunited with coach Bill O'Brien this offseason, it was a chance for him.
Even before he won the starting job, he felt good about taking that chance.
"It’s everything I thought it would be when I decided to sign here," Hoyer said Saturday. "It’s been everything that I could have hoped for."
All the way back to organized team activities, Hoyer looked smoother running the Texans' offense. His mobility inside the pocket gave him an edge over Ryan Mallett. His consistency did too.
Mallett made some nice throws during training camp, and led a solid drive in the Texans' first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers. That drive got the Texans inside the 5-yard line but they ultimately didn't score through no fault of Mallett's. Hoyer, though, made fewer mistakes. After an offseason where the competition began long before the Texans even put on pads, Hoyer had a clear lead. His job in training camp became not losing that edge, and he didn't.
We're terming this as the end of the Texans' quarterback competition, but in some ways it won't be. O'Brien will monitor the situation, just as he did last year, and it's possible both quarterbacks play this season.
The Texans' offense is still a bit of a mystery, but it's a better situation than what Hoyer had in Cleveland last year. Even without Arian Foster, the Texans might have a more capable running game, especially when compared to the Browns' ground attack after losing center Alex Mack to an injury last year. Mack's injury and the subsequent issues with the Browns' offense directly coincided with a dip in Hoyer's numbers during the latter third of the season.
The Texans offensive line will still be jelling early in the season, but it protected Hoyer well in Week 1 of the preseason. The offensive group that inspires the most confidence is the receiving corps, a unit more talented and functional than what Hoyer worked with last season.
The trust he put in O'Brien, trust that stems from a relationship that goes back to 2009 when Hoyer went to the Patriots as an undrafted free agent, paid off. His next task will be retaining it.