Ryan Mallett to Start for Texans Following Bye Week

The Houston Texans join the New England Patriots this week as one of six teams enjoying a bye. The Houston Texans will also join the New England Patriots in Week 11 when they start a quarterback groomed under coach Bill Belichick.

According to Ultimate Texans, coach Bill O'Brien - another Belichick disciple - has named Ryan Mallett the starting quarterback going forward. Thus far for the Texans, Ryan Fitzpatrick has been exactly who he has been throughout his career; competent, even good at times, but far too inconsistent and prone to turnovers. Thus, O'Brien feels that Mallett gives the 4-5 Texans, who are still in the hunt for a Wild Card spot, the best chance to win.

I know that Mallett is no longer a Patriot and this really isn't team-relevant news, but I for one will be very curious to see how he does. New England basically gave him to the Texans for free, sending the fourth-year QB to Houston in exchange for a 7th round pick in 2015, so we'll soon see who got the better of that blockbuster deal. On the plus side, a good performance by Mallett can turn that 7th rounder into a 6th, so there's another reason to root for him.

Just think: if only Matt Cassel wasn't on IR, of the 32 human beings on the planet who can call themselves an NFL starting quarterback, 1/8th of them would be Patriots products.