Coach Love Smith is a ‘believer’ in Davis Mills and what he’ll bring the Texans
Houston Texans coach Love Smith praised Davis Mills’ improvement in his debut year in the league, and expects that to continue during the 2022 season.
Davis Mills will be the Houston Texans’ starting quarterback in 2022 following Tyrod Taylor signing with the New York Giants and the Deshaun Watson trade.
New Texans coach Lovie Smith, who was the team’s defensive coordinator last season, spoke highly of the Mill’s play and improvement during the stretch of the 2021 season, and the leadership he’s been bringing to the team on and off the field.
Smith on David Mills: “I am a believer in him”
“If you look at all of my comments about Davis, I am a believer in him and what he’s going to do,” Smith said Monday. “Eventually, he’s got to do it all on the football field consistently where everybody loves him, every snap and all of that. Before a guy has played enough to do all of that, he shows up every day.”
Smith also praised the 23-year-old for organizing workouts with his teammates over the last couple of months and actively trying to bring other players to Texas.
“Availability, he is available,” added Smith. “He has recruited other players to come here, and what the guys see him doing is just working. When I say I believe in him, (offensive coordinator) Pep Hamilton, second year in the system, all of these things. ... If you just go back and look at the plays that he made, throwing the ball downfield last year, so many good things that he did, and that’s as a rookie.”
Smith added that the improvement that was seen from one year to another by Mills is what the Texans will get out of the former third-round pick.
Looking back at the last season, Mills’ improvement truly was dramatic. He was forced to start as a rookie in Week two due to Taylor’s injury, resulting in the team losing all six starts, while taking 19 sacks (3.2 per game). He completed 69 percent of his passes for 209 yards per game with six touchdowns, seven Interceptions and an 82.3 passer rating.
After Taylor took his spot back, Mills was back to the bench until he returned to the starting lineup for the last five weeks, in which he came out stronger than before; he completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 251.6 yards per game, nine touchdowns, two INTs and a 102.4 passer rating while taking nine sacks, in just these five games.
Houston, led by Mills, won two of those final tilts.
The Texans will have to make sure they provide the right infrastructure for Mills to continue to see progression from him. If not, Houston might take a different route with the additional draft assets they have, thanks to the Deshaun Watson trade.