Texans HC on Stroud vs. Mills: 'You Guys Will See the Starter When We Get to' Ravens

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans remained noncommittal about who will be the starting quarterback for Week 1 of the NFL regular season following Saturday's 28-3 defeat to the Miami Dolphins.

"We'll have a starter in Baltimore," he told reporters. "It's the same as I've said previously. You guys will see the starter when we get to Baltimore."

Most fans expect first-round draft pick C.J. Stroud to get the nod over Davis Mills, and Ryans might have spilled the beans when addressing the situation earlier this month. He mistakenly said to NFL Network's Jane Slater and Tom Pelissero that Stroud would start against the Baltimore Ravens, Houston's Week 1 opponent, before correcting himself.

Stroud went 2-of-4 for 13 yards and an interception in the Texans' 20-0 loss to the New England Patriots. His performance improved a bit against Miami as he finished 7-of-12 for 60 yards.

Ryans said the rookie quarterback's passes were "accurate" and "coming out on time."

"So it's encouraging to see him from Week 1 to this week, to see the improvement, just overall seeing him more comfortable, and I saw him having fun playing the game," he said.

Mills hasn't exactly gone above and beyond, with 193 passing yards and a touchdown in his 34 preseason attempts so far, and he flattered to deceive in 2022 as the full-time starter. You pretty much know what you're gonna get if he's leading the offense again in 2023.

If for that reason alone, leaning on Stroud makes sense.

Houston's preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 27 might provide additional insight into Ryans' thinking.