Brian Hoyer's Steady Hand Supersedes Ryan Mallett's Talent as Texans' QB1

When Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien chose Brian Hoyer as the team's starting quarterback over Ryan Mallett, the decision clearly hinged on consistency over long-term potential.

In doing so, O'Brien made the right move to ensure the team's immediate success.

Hoyer's appointment is clearly a nod toward the Texans' desire to win now as opposed to waiting on Mallett to eventually develop into the caliber of player the organization originally envisioned when it traded for him prior to the 2014 season.

The Texans signed the former Cleveland Browns signal-caller to a two-year, $10.5 million contract on March 11. A mere 166 days later, Hoyer claimed the starting spot, per the Houston Chronicle's Aaron Wilson.

Hoyer's contract became the first indication he would eventually win the job after the team re-signed Mallett to a two-year, $7 million deal only two days earlier.

As such, the Houston Chronicle's Brian T. Smith believes the job belonged to Hoyer from the start:

A competition between the two still ensued, though, with neither truly distancing himself from the other during the first two preseason contests.

The newly minted starter is 9-of-15 passing for 119 yards and a touchdown so far. His most impressive throw came Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers when he connected with receiver Cecil Shorts III for a 58-yard touchdown.

Hoyer didn't play as efficiently in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos, and it placed O'Brien in a predicament.

The head coach wanted to publicly name a starting quarterback before the team's Week 3 "dress rehearsal" against the New Orleans Saints, but Hoyer became a difficult sell after his 7-of-11 passing performance didn't result in any points.

When pressed about which quarterback would start after Saturday's contest, O'Brien refrained from naming either signal-caller.

Instead, the coach provided a succinct blueprint for what he wanted in his starter.

"Consistency, game management," O'Brien said, per Wilson. "Who's the most consistent."

This quote is the key component to Hoyer's ascension to the top of the depth chart.

Hoyer's and Mallett's skill sets are drastically different.

Patric Schneider/Associated Press

The Ohio native will never blow anyone away with his physical tools or even his accuracy. Some can and will argue Hoyer isn't a consistent quarterback based on his completion percentage over a six-year career.

The Michigan State product only completed 55.3 percent of his passes during his lone opportunity to serve as an extended starter last season. The mark made him the 32nd-most accurate quarterback in the NFL. His career completion percentage currently sits at 56.5 percent.

But the consistency O'Brien spoke of and that eventually provided Hoyer with an advantage is derived from accountability.

Hoyer excels in preparation, pre-snap reads, putting the team in the right play and his overall knowledge of the system. Where he falls short as an athlete, he makes up for it with a sharp mental game.

There will always be limitations in Hoyer's overall game, but his coach knows that what he sees during games, his quarterback will also see.

This became evident last season when he led the Browns to a 7-4 record before the team (and the quarterback) faltered down the stretch.

Much like this year's preseason competition, Hoyer wasn't overly impressive last year when he was eventually handed the Browns' starting spot.

However, the team knew it could rely on him to be a professional and allow the other areas of the team to play to their potential. He essentially served as a (dreaded) game manager, but the wheels finally came off last season after an injury to Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, the forced return of Josh Gordon and consistently playing at a disadvantage due to the team's 32nd-ranked run defense.

Hoyer certainly deserves some of the blame for the team's downfall last season, but it's counterbalanced by helping the franchise to its best start since 2007.

O'Brien knows exactly what to expect of Hoyer when he's on the field, and that includes where he excels and where he falls short. The veteran quarterback isn't the flashy option, but he provides a reliable option that can keep the offense moving enough not to waste the talents of DeAndre Hopkins and a high-profile defense.

Hoyer will be put in place for the simple reason that he'll be asked not to lose games. He won't be able to carry them to many wins either, but it's all about giving the team the best chance to win each and every week.

Patric Schneider/Associated Press

Mallett, meanwhile, remains a far more talented option.

The 6'6" Arkansas product is a towering presence behind center, and there isn't a throw he can't make. His raw arm strength definitely falls among the top tier of NFL passers.

Player	Hoyer	Mallett
Games	32	7
Completion %	56.5	53.2
Yards	4,557	417
Touchdowns	19	2
Interceptions	19	3
QB rating	76.8	61.0

Unfortunately, Mallett's tendency over his career is to spray the football all over the field. The ability to make all of the throws isn't the same as showing the consistency to complete those passes.

Ironically, the former third-round pick finished 15-of-18 passing for 113 yards during the first two preseason contests. He didn't, however, lead a scoring drive in either game.

Mallett fought an uphill battle throughout the competition, because O'Brien already knew what to expect of him.

With O'Brien supervising three different quarterback competitions, this is now the third time Mallett has fallen short. It started in New England when he battled Hoyer for the No. 2 spot behind Tom Brady. Last year, Ryan Fitzpatrick won the starting job.

Plus, the Texans organization got to see Mallett in limited starting opportunities last season and apparently didn't come away impressed despite a win against Hoyer's Browns and his play through a torn pectoral muscle.

A silver lining remains for the 27-year-old signal-caller. The Houston Chronicle's John McClain pointed out the obvious in this particular situation:

Mallett's natural ability to throw the football cannot be denied, but he lacks experience and nuance at the position needed for a team that believes it will be in the playoff hunt this fall.

When it's all said and done, the NFL is a 100 percent injury league. Hoyer has yet to play an entire 16-game slate, and his backup will likely get an opportunity to prove himself at some point this fall.

Right now, though, O'Brien is far more comfortable with the veteran who can manage the game and make fewer mental mistakes than banking on natural upside in hopes it pans out during the season.

J.J. Watt, Vince Wilfork, Brian Cushing, Johnathan Joseph, Duane Brown and Arian Foster (once he's healthy) are ready to win now. The team is capable of doing so. It comes down to the game's most important position being properly addressed.

Hoyer might not excite anyone as a starting quarterback, but he does the little things that are generally overlooked and will put his team in a position to win. And that's all O'Brien and the Texans fans can ask for based on their current situation.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL and NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.