(SportsRadio 610) - Despite dropping to 1-4-1 after Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Texans head coach Lovie Smith said Monday he's been impressed by the growth his quarterback has shown.
Davis Mills is coming off maybe his best game as a pro, completing 28 of his 42 pass attempts for 302 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Sunday marked the fifth time Mills has thrown for more than 300 yards in a game since taking over as quarterback last season.
Interestingly enough, what matters most is the fact that the the Texans haven't won any of those games.
The Texans converted nine of their 15 third-down plays for the game, including Mills completing five of his seven attempts on third downs through the air.
"My comments have been that Davis Mills is getting better and better each week," Smith said. "I mean maybe we haven't thrown for 500 yards each week, but we've seen growth from him. That continues throughout."
It doesn't seem likely Mills will ever win the popular vote, but through the first six games of the 2022 season, he ranks second across the board compared to the other quarterbacks taken in his 2021 draft class, which includes Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones.
Davis Mills' rank amongst the other quarterbacks drafted in 2021:
1350 passing yards (2nd)
7 passing TD's (2nd)
83.6 passer rating (2nd)
63.8% completion % (2nd)
The 2021 quarterback class is certainly one of the weakest classes since 2015. However, progress is progress and for Lovie Smith, Mills' improvement hasn't gone unnoticed.
"He made some tough throws," Smith said. "I liked his pocket presence, checking the ball down. Just keeping us in the game, what an NFL quarterback should do. I like the way he led us on the offensive side."
Mills and the offense will have to show consistency and build off Sunday's performance going forward if Mills hopes to keep his job beyond this season.
Granted, that could be even more challenging for Mills and the offense in the coming weeks as Nico Collins, an emerging playmaker in the receiver core, may be sidelined with injury. He left in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game with an apparent groin injury.
He didn't return and depending on the severity of it, could miss at least a week.
One week can make a big difference, especially with the NFL's trade deadline coming up Nov. 1.
Brandin Cooks, Mills' favorite target from a year ago, could be on the market.
Cooks has already been traded three times during his nine-year career. He along with other receivers around the league like Chase Claypool and Jerry Jeudy have garnered interest in the trade market.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday evening that the Texans have received multiple calls on Cooks, who leads the team with 24 catches through six games this season.
Head coach Lovie Smith has other areas on the team that require more urgent attention, namely his run defense.
"We have some issues we need to clean up," Smith said. "But the quarterback position is not it."
Shaun Bijani has spent the last 16 years covering the Houston sports scene for SportsRadio 610. Follow him on Twitter @ShaunBijani.
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