Texans rookie quarterback Davis Mills will start his sixth consecutive game Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, a decision based primarily on the fact that veteran starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor isn't completely healthy and ready to play after missing the past five games with a Grade 2 strained hamstring in his left leg.
"Davis will start," Texans coach David Culley said Friday morning at NRG Stadium. "We just don't feel like Tyrod is ready right now. He's made a lot of progress. It's just not the progress to get back out there and be our starter. He's making great progress. At this point, we just don't feel like he's where he needs to be."
Taylor remains the starting quarterback and will regain his job when he's fully back. That could be as soon as next week's road game against the Miami Dolphins as long as his leg continues to improve.
Culley was noncommittal on when Taylor will return. Taylor undergoes tests every week to determine the strength and flexibility and risk of aggravating the injury.
"I hope so," Culley said. "It's just time. With the hamstring, it takes time and guys heal differently."
Taylor ran the scout team offense while Mills operated the first-team offense this week in practice.
Mills has passed for 1,047 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions for the 1-6 Texans, who are on a six-game losing streak and are 0-5 with the third-round draft pick from Stanford as their starter. He has primarily thrown short passes lately, especially last Sunday during a 31-5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
"He's prepared," Culley said of Mills. "He's taken most of the reps in practice all week. He's prepared just like he's practiced."
The Texans have just 12 pass plays of 16 yards or longer since the third week of the season. He's throwing downfield 20 yards or more on less than 10 percent of his throws.
A former Pro Bowl selection, Taylor completed 10 of 11 passes for 125 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for a 144.3 passer rating before having to leave the Browns game at halftime after hurting while running for a touchdown with defensive end Myles Garrett swiping at his left leg. Taylor completed 70.5 percent of his throws for 416 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions for a career-high 122.9 passer rating before the injury.
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The Texans won their only game of the season with Taylor under center against the Jacksonville Jaguars to start the season and were leading the Browns at halftime when Taylor exited the game.
“He was our starting quarterback, and when he’s healthy, he’ll be our starting quarterback,” Culley said this week of Taylor.
Culley had previously said Taylor would need a ramp-up period to avoid a potential setback with his injured left leg. Taylor has made significant progress recently, though, and there is some optimism that he could return as soon as this week.
Mills was bracing for potentially being replaced and didn't sound emotional about the pending decision after the Cardinals game.
“I mean whatever decision is made, with whoever we are playing, that’s up to coach and the front office," Mills said. "I know that both of us are willing to do what it takes for the team to win. You never know, obviously. I think experience was the biggest thing for me. I’m getting that right now, and I’ve definitely grown from before I was playing. I’m willing to do whatever it takes for the team to win."
Mills completed 23 of 32 passes for only 135 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions for a 79.6 passer rating, but lost a fumble against the Cardinals.
“I think I’ve continued to progress," Mills said. "I feel like I’ve been playing better out there. Obviously, protected the football a little better this week, had the one fumble. Obviously want that back, Just have to keep making smart decisions with the football and keep rolling.”
Mills’ performance against the New England Patriots was extremely encouraging as he displayed accuracy, mobility and an ability to throw on the run, completing 21 of 29 passes for a career-high three touchdown passes and zero interceptions for a 141.7 passer rating. He completed 12 of 13 passes on third and fourth down in that game for 209 yards and two touchdowns.
It was a big-time game for Mills, especially in light of his four interceptions overall, 23.4 passer rating, and first-half passer rating of 0.0 with one completion and two interceptions just a week ago during a loss to the Buffalo Bills.
“Davis has been fine,” Culley said. “I’ve been happy with Davis. When he has protected the ball, he has done everything we have asked him to do. We had a sack fumble that happened that he has to be able to protect the ball on.
“But other than that, he’s been handling the offense the way we want it handled. There’s been some things that we needed him to do that he hasn’t done, but that’s what some rookies do. For the most part, I’ve been very happy with how he’s handled things.”
Culley's stance of a player not losing their job because of getting injured has been welcomed by veteran players inside the Texans' locker room.
Mills has also earned respect from older players like center Justin Britt.
“Just poise, confidence here and there, I know he would like to have some throws and different things back, but you see the confidence never wavers," Britt said. "He’s going out there week in and week out, trying to be aggressive, trying to go win the game for us and do what he needs to do. Being the center, blocking for him, I’ve appreciated how he’s gone about it and how he’s approached each week with the mindset of, ‘Let’s get better, let’s execute and let’s go win the game.’
"When things don’t happen, they don’t happen, and you try to learn from them, you try to correct the mistakes. But the losses, they’re not on him, they’re not on me, they’re on all of us. We’ve got to do a better job protecting the football, better job staying on schedule, not getting penalties and finishing drives whenever we get in the red zone."
Nonetheless, the Texans are still searching for a long-term answer at the NFL's most pivotal position.
With Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson having issued a standing trade request, having legal issues and more likely to be dealt away in the offseason than by Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, the Texans lack that critical element as they try to build their football team into a contender again.
“It’s extremely important for the entire football team to know that when you go out there, that particular guy is going to do his job and give you a chance to win,” Culley said of the quarterback position. “I feel like in Davis we have a guy that, in the future, can be that kind of guy. Obviously, we got Tyrod here for a reason, and he’s been there and done that also. Unfortunately, the injury kept him from doing what we felt like we were going to do and taking us to where we need to be going right now.”