HOUSTON – Davis Mills had found a strong rhythm Thursday night despite the absence of his top wide receivers.
The Texans’ second-year quarterback delivered a touchdown pass to rookie tight end Teagan Quitoriano with a well-placed lob on the opening drive of the game, completing all four of his throws. In the second quarter at NRG Stadium, Mills rolled out to his right and fired a strike to wide receiver Chris Moore in the corner of the end zone for another touchdown and his most impressive throw of the game.
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Unfortunately for Mills and the Texans, this hot streak came to a screeching halt against the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in the second half.
After completing 8 of 9 passes in the first half for 90 yards and two touchdowns and zero interceptions for a nearly perfect 147.9 passer rating with Brandin Cooks out for personal reasons and Nico Collins out with a groin injury, Mills’ inconsistency showed up again in the second half.
Instead of continuing to make sound decisions and accurate throws after helping the Texans build a 14-14 halftime tie, Mills threw a critical interception that gave the Eagles the lead for good.
Trying to connect with Moore over the middle, Mills looked directly at his read, and Eagles defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson intercepted him and returned it 25 yards to the Texans’ 17-yard line. That turnover led directly to a Jalen Hurts touchdown pass to wide receiver A.J. Brown two plays later and the 8-0 Eagles went on to manufacture a 29-17 victory over the 1-6-1 Texans.
Midway through the season, Mills’ regression from a strong finish to his rookie season is tied directly to an uptick in interceptions. He has thrown five interceptions combined in the past three games. For the season, Mills has completed 62.8 percent of his throws (down from 66.8 percent as a rookie) for 1,656 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions for an 81.2 passer rating (down from 88.8 as a rookie.
“The record is what it is, but I think we’re at a good spot,” Mills said. “Came and played arguably the best team in the league right now, and our guys battled. Especially the offensive line played really well upfront. The run game was flowing all night long. Passing game, guys were making plays.
“Obviously the two turnovers, I’ve got to protect the ball better. Tried to force some plays when I guess they weren’t there. Just be smart with it. Puts our defense in a bad spot. But I think we’re in a good spot. We’re getting better each week. Just got to find a way to get over the hump and finish some games.”
In the second half, Mills completed just five passes on 13 attempts for 64 yards to finish 13 of 22 for 154 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions for a 72.9 passer rating. Mills played slightly better than he did Sunday during a loss to the Tennessee Titans and not as well as he did in a road defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders. His last game without an interception was Oct. 9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars when he was 16 for 24 for 140 yards and no scores.
“We’re growing each week,” Texans coach Lovie Smith said. “First off, we talked about starting fast. We haven’t really started fast. In the first and the fourth quarter, we haven’t played our best ball. But to get that touchdown right away, I thought that was big for us. Even throughout, you take away those turnovers, and I thought we had a game plan that would allow us to win the football game.”
This marked the second time in Mills’ career he threw two touchdowns in the first half.
He did so while playing without Cooks and Collins, his most frequently targeted wide receivers.
Mills became aware shortly before the game that Cooks, disappointed after not being traded to a contender at the NFL deadline, would miss the game.
“Later in the week, probably similar to you guys,” Mills said. “It was a day-by-day thing. I think it’s going to be good because we’ll have (Cooks) back starting tomorrow, so it should be good for the rest of the season.”
Cooks’ return -- he is back at work Friday at NRG Stadium, per a league source, as Smith predicted -- could provide a boost to Mills’ game.
“It will be great,” Mills said. “(Cooks) is one of the leaders on this football team. Obviously, his talent and playmaking ability speak for themselves. It’s going to be exciting to have him back for the rest of the year.”
Mills had a strong running game with rookie Dameon Pierce rushing for a career-high 139 yards. Dorsett and Moore had their moments. It just wasn’t enough.
The missing part of the equation: is ball security from Mills.
“It’s hard to think too much,” Mills said when asked to evaluate his performance eight games into the season. “Obviously, I’ve got to see the film from this past game, but my goals are just to continue getting better each week, and protect the football. Could have been better at that tonight with the turnovers, but continue leading the guys on offense and just go out there, do my job and try to find ways to get the ball on an edge to playmakers.”
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to KPRC and click2houston.com