Before there was Deshaun Watson, there was Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage. Before them, there was Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Hoyer. On Sunday, while the Houston Texans rest-up on their Week 10 bye, the NFL will delight audiences clamoring for Fitzpatrick vs. Hoyer.
With Jacoby Brissett battling a sprained MCL, the Indianapolis Colts will trot out Hoyer to face the Fitzpatrick-led Miami Dolphins in a battle that can be best dubbed as the “Pre-Watson Bill O’Brien Quarterback Bowl.”
Fitzpatrick, O’Brien’s first starting quarterback in Houston, recorded a 6-6 record as a starter for the Texans. While doing so, he passed for 2,483 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions on a 63.1% completion rate.
The highlight of Fitzpatrick’s Texans career came on a six-touchdown performance against the Titans. Ultimately, however, Houston moved on from Fitzpatrick for the likes of Hoyer, who started for the Cleveland Browns in the same season. Fitzpatrick was traded to the New York Jets.
Like Fitzpatrick, Hoyer lasted one season in Houston. In 2015, he tossed for 2,606 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven touchdowns while compiling a 5-4 record as a starter. His last game as a Texan came in the 2016 Wildcard round; he amassed five turnovers in a 30-0 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Houston.
Houston moved on from Hoyer after one season. After handing Brock Osweiler a hefty sum, the team released him. Weeks later, he found a home with the Chicago Bears. One season after, there was a new quarterback in Houston — one that continues to help sell-out NRG Stadium.
Sunday’s matchup between the Colts and Dolphins may not be the most thrilling of the weekend. However, for a Texans fan, it’s a reminder of what was of old in Houston. Before Deshaun Watson, there was Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Hoyer. There has not been an after Deshaun Watson, and Houston would like to keep it that way.
