‘Top Secret!’ How Texans' 2-QB Strategy 'Challenged' Cowboys
ARLINGTON -- Jeff Driskel delivered a quick play-action fake, rolled out to his right and lobbed a perfect spiral to leaping wide receiver Amari Rodgers for a touchdown pass.
The Houston Texans' backup quarterback, elevated from the practice squad for the third time, threw his first touchdown pass since Sept. 27, 2020 when he was playing for the Denver Broncos.
Splitting time with starter Davis Mills, Driskel helped the Texans' usually sluggish offense click Sunday. It was an effective strategy designed by offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton intended to breathe some life into a dormant offense. Although the 1-11-1 Texans still wound up losing 27-23 to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, the two-quarterback collaboration contributed to them leading throughout in arguably their best overall offensive performance of the season.
"We looked for a spark," Texans coach Lovie Smith said. "I thought Davis did some good things passing the football . Early in the week we decided to go with this plan to use Jeff. I thought he did some good things, too."
Mills and Driskel equally split the offensive snaps, 50 percent apiece with 33 plays each.
Mills, back in the starting lineup after being benched for two weeks and replaced by Kyle Allen, who was inactive, completed 16 of 21 passes for 175 yards and one interception on a desperation Hail Mary heave to end the game.
“That was something that we worked on all week, a nice little package for me in there," said Driskel, who was converted to tight end last season because of his athleticism before breaking his collarbone and going on injured reserve. "I was excited to get out there and help the team win and, obviously, it was not what we wanted to do at the end of the game.”
The quarterback platoon worked until a pivotal red-zone sequence as the Texans failed to put the game away after getting a first-and-goal after a Tremon Smith interception. Rex Burkhead was stuffed twice for a total loss of three yards. Driskel was tackled on an option run on fourth down, and the Cowboys drove 98 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
“It was a play to get out on the edge and they had more bodies out there than maybe we wanted," Driskel said. "It was fourth down and I tried to put my foot in the ground and get vertical and they beat us on that step.”
Driskel completed 4 of 6 throws for 38 yards and the 28-yard touchdown. He also rushed for 36 yards on seven carries. The teamwork between Mills and Driskel was evident.
"Props to Davis for being able to play the game like that," Driskel said. "I think the game was called in a way that both of us were able to help.”
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged that the two-quarterback system was difficult to defend.
From series to series, from play to play, the Cowboys and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn didn't know which quarterback would be in the game.
With Driskel, the Texans had a more mobile quarterback. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds for NFL scouts coming out of college.
With Mills, the Texans have a more of a traditional pocket passer.
"Houston … played well, they’re a challenge to play with two quarterbacks," McCarthy said. "There’s some herky-jerkiness to that. They hit their big plays.”
Playing without injured wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins, the Texans still hit some big plays.
Wide receiver Chris Moore caught a career-high 10 passes for 124 yards on 11 targets, including a one-handed sideline grab.
“It was seamless," Moore said. "I feel like we did a good job of practicing that all week and we went out there and executed the game plan pretty well.”
The communication in the huddle didn't suffer with the constant changes.
“It was effective," offensive guard A.J. Cann said. "The communication wasn’t different at all. They did a good job communicating when they were coming in and when they were going out. It seemed to be working. We were moving the ball with it. Hey, look, it might be something we use in the future.”
Rodgers caught the first touchdown of his NFL career from Driskel on the play-action pass.
"I just ran a wheel route," Rodgers said. "I was really just supposed to clear out the safety. It wasn’t supposed to come to me, but I was playing fast and was ready for the ball. He threw it to me, and I just made the play.”
Playing with two quarterbacks represented something of a foreign concept, but it worked.
"As a receiver, you just get open and if the ball is around you, you’ve just got to catch it," Rodgers said. "Driskel and Davis, they did a great job handling the game management and keeping the offense rolling. They did a great job. Maybe we will keep rolling with that because they did a great job.”
Mills finished with a 80.5 passer rating, but it was clearly an improvement from the shaky performances against the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans that got him benched.
“I played well for the most part," Mills said. "Obviously, I want to go back and see a couple of things, but there might have only really been one throw that I missed to my standards.
"I thought we were moving the ball pretty effectively all day. Jeff’s a great athlete, a great quarterback. Any time we can mix it up and keep the defense guessing, we want to utilize that as much as possible so we can keep moving the ball.”
"We’ll evaluate it," he said. "If we like what we’re able to do with it, we'll keep it. We’ll see what gives us the best option to give us a chance to beat Kansas City."
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