The fragility Texans head coach Lovie Smith seems to have handled second-year quarterback Davis Mills is becoming quite telling of what he really thinks of the former third-round pick.
There is often an attempt by reporters to tip-toe around a sensitive topic and ask a question that gives the person answering an easy route to dodge the question or take it in a completely different direction.
For instance, following the Texans' (1-7-1) fourth consecutive loss Sunday afternoon, a question was asked to Smith regarding making a change at quarterback.
Instead of simply asking, "will you make a change?" or "when would you consider making a change at the position?" the question was prefaced with a comparison to the safety position. It likened switching quarterbacks with the frequency to that of a safety, which is quite often rotated using other personnel.
Lovie Smith, as he is so adept at doing, took that nugget and ran with it.
"Just don’t think it’s time, as simple as that. Quarterback position is a little bit different," Smith said. "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."
Smith is a battle-tested deflector.
It doesn’t take too much effort when one has that deadpan, dry-witted yet grandfatherly way about them.
Anyone that watches football knows you don’t rotate quarterbacks with the whimsical nature you can with a cornerback or safety.
Smith does deserve a bit of credit for supplying a pretty solid one-liner to run with.
“Just don’t think it’s time, as simple as that.”
That at least sounds like he’s considered making a change, right?
Monday afternoon, Smith was asked again about the quarterback position.
“Because you guys keep asking me about that position. That’s all we want to talk about,” Smith quipped. “Davis Mills had an interception yesterday, like a lot of quarterbacks in the NFL did. Without going over, critiquing every little bit, we evaluate everything that every position does. Quarterback, some of the positions, we never rotate them. If there’s a position where you don’t rotate a guy, you’re going to let that guy play a little bit longer. It’s like that at other positions too. Our linebackers are some of the positions we don’t substitute an awful lot, some of our offensive linemen. It’s no more than that. We evaluate everybody.
"Right now, what I said yesterday right after the game and what I’m saying now, we don’t think that the play right now, just Davis Mills play, says all of our problems, ‘Let’s just get Davis out of there and everything’s okay.’ We’re going to keep working on a lot of different things. That’s what I said yesterday. That’s what I’m saying today.”
None of the 12 quarterbacks who threw an interception across the NFL lost their starting job.
But Lovie is right about one thing. There is much more to the Texans' offensive ineptitude than just that of their quarterback.
It’s not just Mills’ play that has hindered the offense from starting faster, being less predictable on third downs or remotely competent in the fourth quarter.
It’s the play calling, too.
That comes down to offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.
When asked about the 54-yard touchdown rookie safety Jalen Pitre allowed after whiffing on Darius Slayton in the third quarter Sunday, Smith pulled no punches in eluding to how bad of a missed tackle that was.
"That has to be a correctable thing, because Jalen will be the first guy to tell you he’s missed too many tackles,” Smith said. "He’s too good of a football player."
It’s fair to wonder where is the same critique of Mills, who has been late on throws, thrown too early to check downs, routinely misses fundamental passes and leads the league in fourth quarter interceptions with five, that Smith seems to have with Pitre?
Smith doesn’t wear those same gloves with Mills. He switches to mittens, because there’s different expectations for the signal caller.
Still discussing the Pitre missed tackle and noting what a teachable moment that was for the rookie, who sat out a few plays following the gaffe, Smith said there are moments you have to take advantage of when dealing with young players.
“When you’re a rookie in this league, there are teachable moments daily," Smith said. "Pulling them in, hugging them, talking to them, coaching them throughout the course of the game, Jalen wasn’t the only rookie. Every rookie to a man, did something that we need to clean up (Sunday). And yes, as coaches we’re always doing that. It’s not like we’re kicking them out of the family making them change their last name or anything like that. When you deal with young players, there’s going to be moments like that."
Mills isn’t a rookie, but the notion that he can continue to cost his team points and possessions without similar accountability should be telling.
Smith knows who Mills is and so do the Texans. With great expectation, comes great responsibility and accountability.
There is none of the latter for Mills because the Texans don’t have the former for him.
They’ve got their eye on the prize, that won’t be revealed until April 27, 2023.
As for now, Smith is going to continue to ride with Mills.
"He gives us our best chance to win," Smith said. "The confidence comes in that."
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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