Texans' Lovie Smith not benching Davis Mills yet
Houston Texans head coach Lovie Smith isn't ready to bench quarterback Davis Mills yet.
"Just don’t think it’s time, as simple as that," Smith explained about his mindset coming off Sunday's 24-16 loss at the New York Giants that dropped his team to a woeful 1-7-1 on the season, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk and Kevin Patra of the NFL's website. "Quarterback position is a little bit different. We rotate pretty much at most positions, we play more than one guy. Quarterback position is a little bit different. We can’t turn the ball over. Acknowledging what we did today is not good enough and anytime we’re turning the ball over especially in the red zone it’s not good enough. But that’s where we are right now."
As Patra noted, Mills missed a wide-open O.J. Howard on Houston's first play from scrimmage against the Giants. That proved to be a sign of what was to come, as the 24-year-old finished the first half with six completions on 13 pass attempts for 35 yards. While Mills ultimately connected on 22-of-37 throws for 319 yards and a touchdown, he also tossed a brutal fourth-quarter interception in the end zone:
"Sometimes when the deep route is covered, you check it down," Smith added about avoidable mistakes Mills has made, such as his pick on Sunday. "We can't do that. That's not good enough. We're trying to get to (manageable) third downs, so you have to push the ball at least that (distance)."
According to ESPN stats, Mills began Monday 27th among eligible quarterbacks with an 81.7 passer rating, 30th with a 32.5 total QBR, and tied for 24th with a 62.4% completion percentage on the campaign. Only Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills (10) has more interceptions than Mills this season.
Journeyman Kyle Allen sits behind Mills on Houston's depth chart.
As far back as February, Smith insisted he was high on Mills and that the 2021 third-round pick will "be an excellent quarterback in the NFL for a lot of years." The Texans are now on pace to earn the top selection in next year's draft.
Houston hosts the Washington Commanders (4-5) this coming Sunday.
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