How much better are the Texans getting as they switch from Brian Hoyer to Brock Osweiler? The Broncos know Osweiler better than anyone, and they didn’t want to give him huge money, we know that. And as I look at the numbers, I’m not sure where it is that Osweiler is a whole bunch better than Hoyer.
Neither guy runs very well.
Osweiler is 6 inches taller probably has a stronger arm.
Completion percentage for these guys last year was pretty much the same. Osweiler at 62 percent, Hoyer at 61 percent.
Both did a good job taking care of the football, turning it over on 2.2 percent of their plays. (Same number for both of them, when you combine interceptions and fumbles lost). Hoyer threw 7 picks in 10 starts (before the playoffs). Osweiler 5 interceptions in his 7 starts.
Osweiler averaged 7.2 yards per pass attempt. Hoyer at 7.1.
Hoyer had a slightly better passer rating – 91.4 to 86.4.
Hoyer did a better job getting the ball out of his hands. Sacked on 6.8 percent of his pass plays, compared to Osweiler at 8.4.
Both averaged 11.6 yards per completion.
Osweiler averaged more passing yards – 260-237 per game (in games started).
Hoyer threw more touchdowns (17 in 10 starts, versus 9 in 7 for Osweiler).
Hoyer was a little bit better inside the 10, completing 11 of 18, with 9 TDs. Osweiler inside the 10 went 8 of 16, with 6 TDs.
To me, the key here is how Osweiler will be used. Are they going to throw it all over the place? I don’t think so. In 2014, Houston ran the ball more than anyone – on 52 percent of their plays.
Last year they came out slinging it, up at 64 percent pass plays in the first half of the season. They went only 3-5 in those games. This team got good in the second half of the season, when it reverted to playing as it did in the 2014 season. They ran on 48 percent of their plays in their final eight games, a top-5 number. (And 6-2 in those games).
When you compare games 1-8 against 9-16, Houston was the most-improved running team (up 325 yards) but lost 623 passing yards – the 2nd-biggest drop.
So the big free agent signing in Houston, I think, isn’t Brock Osweiler. It’s Lamar Miller.
| MOST IMPROVED RUSHING (Yards Per Game) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1-8 | 9-16 | Diff |
| Houston | 87.9 | 128.5 | 40.6 |
| Denver | 88.1 | 126.6 | 38.5 |
| Detroit | 69.6 | 97.3 | 27.6 |
| Cleveland | 84.0 | 107.1 | 23.1 |
| Buffalo | 141.6 | 162.4 | 20.8 |
| Kansas City | 118.8 | 136.8 | 18.0 |
| Washington | 91.3 | 104.5 | 13.3 |
| Chicago | 109.8 | 122.0 | 12.3 |
| NY Giants | 94.5 | 106.6 | 12.1 |
| Minnesota | 132.8 | 143.6 | 10.9 |
| Tampa Bay | 131.9 | 138.4 | 6.5 |
| Seattle | 139.5 | 144.0 | 4.5 |
| NY Jets | 115.3 | 118.3 | 3.0 |
| Carolina | 142.3 | 143.0 | .8 |
| Green Bay | 115.6 | 115.6 | .0 |
| San Diego | 86.4 | 83.4 | -3.0 |
| San Francisco | 101.1 | 91.9 | -9.3 |
| Jacksonville | 96.8 | 87.4 | -9.4 |
| Arizona | 124.8 | 114.9 | -9.9 |
| New Orleans | 99.3 | 87.1 | -12.1 |
| Baltimore | 99.3 | 85.5 | -13.8 |
| New England | 94.8 | 80.8 | -14.0 |
| Cincinnati | 120.4 | 105.3 | -15.1 |
| Tennessee | 101.6 | 84.0 | -17.6 |
| Indianapolis | 98.9 | 80.9 | -18.0 |
| Miami | 103.3 | 83.8 | -19.5 |
| Dallas | 128.6 | 107.6 | -21.0 |
| Philadelphia | 121.6 | 96.3 | -25.4 |
| St. Louis | 135.5 | 109.0 | -26.5 |
| Oakland | 104.6 | 77.5 | -27.1 |
| Pittsburgh | 125.8 | 89.8 | -36.0 |
| Atlanta | 126.0 | 74.8 | -51.3 |
| MOST IMPROVED PASSING (Yards Per Game) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1-8 | 9-16 | Diff |
| Pittsburgh | 223.4 | 379.4 | 156.0 |
| San Francisco | 181.1 | 274.6 | 93.5 |
| Seattle | 213.6 | 294.0 | 80.4 |
| Washington | 237.8 | 299.0 | 61.3 |
| Tampa Bay | 225.1 | 280.1 | 55.0 |
| Philadelphia | 244.8 | 297.9 | 53.1 |
| Carolina | 216.6 | 267.5 | 50.9 |
| NY Giants | 258.0 | 304.5 | 46.5 |
| Baltimore | 258.0 | 298.1 | 40.1 |
| Jacksonville | 257.6 | 295.9 | 38.3 |
| Buffalo | 208.9 | 241.1 | 32.3 |
| Minnesota | 188.9 | 216.9 | 28.0 |
| Green Bay | 225.3 | 252.9 | 27.6 |
| Tennessee | 229.9 | 256.8 | 26.9 |
| Detroit | 268.1 | 289.8 | 21.6 |
| NY Jets | 250.6 | 270.6 | 20.0 |
| Miami | 254.6 | 274.3 | 19.6 |
| Denver | 257.4 | 269.6 | 12.3 |
| St. Louis | 177.1 | 189.3 | 12.1 |
| Arizona | 292.6 | 304.3 | 11.6 |
| Dallas | 225.5 | 234.1 | 8.6 |
| Chicago | 237.4 | 243.0 | 5.6 |
| New Orleans | 323.1 | 327.5 | 4.4 |
| Atlanta | 288.8 | 286.5 | -2.3 |
| Cleveland | 266.4 | 253.1 | -13.3 |
| Indianapolis | 253.4 | 237.6 | -15.8 |
| Kansas City | 226.6 | 210.0 | -16.6 |
| Oakland | 270.0 | 246.1 | -23.9 |
| Cincinnati | 270.8 | 242.3 | -28.5 |
| New England | 325.5 | 276.0 | -49.5 |
| Houston | 281.5 | 228.4 | -53.1 |
| San Diego | 336.9 | 270.0 | -66.9 |
—Ian Allan