Davis Mills Deserves Patience After Texans' Week 1 Tie vs. Colts

Mills both flashed at times and struggled at times in the Texans' opener against the Colts.

When the Deshaun Watson saga began for the Houston Texans, it became uncertain who the next franchise quarterback would be. Well, the Texans may have found their potential franchise quarterback in the 2021 NFL draft.

Davis Mills, a third-round pick out of Stanford, showed flashes in 2021 of being a quarterback to build around. He finished his rookie season with 2,664 yards and 16 touchdowns in just 13 games. 

Against the Indianapolis Colts in the Texans' season opener, Mills showed more of those flashes. Mills connected with new tight end O.J. Howard for two touchdowns, for 16 and 22 yards respectively. 

His two touchdown passes helped the Texans build a 20-3 second half lead, a lead that inspired confidence among Texans' fans. No, the Texans would not go on to win against the Colts. Rather, they would give up 17 unanswered points, resulting in a 20-20 tie in Week 1. 

While Mills was a big reason for the Texans' lead, he was undoubtedly a factor in their inability to maintain said lead. Once the Texans went up 20-3, the offense appeared to hit a wall and couldn't sustain drives. 

Of course, that isn't entirely Mills' fault, but there is some blame to lay at the feet of the quarterback. Overall, Mills wasn't lights out against the Colts but he didn't stink up the joint either. He played well for a third-round pick in his second season, finishing with 240 yards and two touchdowns while completing 23 of 37 passes. 

The story for Mills is still yet to be told. He could show that the Texans' do indeed have their franchise quarterback and someone to build around. Or he could suffer a serious sophomore slump, leading the Texans to a high pick in the 2023 NFL draft. 

However, the story is still being written. One game does not define the young quarterback. As he continues to grow over the season the Texans will come to learn what they have at the quarterback position. When that happens, a decision can be made regarding the future. 

Until then, though, Mills will continue to show flashes as well as struggle. Be patient, that's just what young quarterbacks do. 

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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