Texans' Davis Mills: Resurgent effort to close season
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Mills completed 22 of 38 passes for 298 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the Texans' 32-31 win over the Colts on Sunday. He also rushed once for six yards and threw a game-winning two-point conversion pass.
Mills saved his best for last, putting together his first three-touchdown tally of the campaign while falling just short of his third 300-yard effort of 2022. The second-year signal-caller even led Houston on an improbable comeback that culminated in a heave of a 28-yard touchdown toss to Jordan Akins on fourth down and a subsequent two-pointer to the veteran tight end that served as the difference in the game. Mills hit Brandin Cooks and Akins for 11- and 19-yard scores earlier in the game as well, but the young quarterback's future in Houston is somewhat uncertain, given the team has the No. 2 pick in April's draft and also may be undergoing a head coaching change this offseason.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Week 18 Waiver Priority List
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Mills is worth a flier in deep Superflex and two-quarterback leagues against the Colts, who have allowed at least 21 Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in five of seven games since Jeff Saturday took over as interim coach. Mills had 19 Fantasy points against Indianapolis in Week 1, and he might be a sneaky sleeper in deeper leagues in Week 18.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Struggles badly again
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Mills completed 22 of 40 passes for 202 yards against Jacksonville on Sunday.
It's been a brutal season for Mills, who once again rotated with Jeff Driskel (3 of 4 passing for nine yards, two carries for seven yards). When he took the snaps, Mills just couldn't get the ball downfield. The Texans play the Colts in Week 18, so Mills will look to get on track against the team he threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns against in Week 1.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Throws late touchdown for win
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Mills completed 17 of 28 passes for 178 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Saturday's 19-14 win over the Texans. He added four rushes for eight yards.
Mills had very little production for the majority of the game, but he led two scoring drives late in the contest during which he accounted for 103 of his yards. That culminated with a six-yard, game-winning touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks with only three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. While Mills played a key role in the Texans' victory, he has failed to top 200 passing yards in four consecutive matchups while totaling five touchdowns.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Week 16 Waiver Priority List
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Mills is worth a look in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues if you're desperate in Week 16. He has a great matchup against the Titans, who are No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and he just scored 22 points against Kansas City in Week 15.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Three total TDs in OT loss
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Mills completed 12 of 24 passes for 121 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and rushed five times for 25 yards and another score in the Texans' 30-24 overtime loss to the Chiefs on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.
Mills was far from efficient, but his surprising three-touchdown tally was certainly a boon for those who may have rolled with the second-year signal-caller in large-field DFS contests or as a desperation play on their season-long teams. Mills continued to split time with Jeff Driskel under center but to a very minor degree, as the latter put up only four attempts. The pair of scoring connections came in connections with tight ends Teagan Quitoriano and Jordan Akins, giving Mills his fifth two-touchdown performance through the air this season. The 2021 third-round pick is likely to remain the primary quarterback in a Week 16 divisional road matchup against the Titans on Saturday afternoon.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Expected to be part of two-QB setup
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Mills is slated to start Sunday's game against the Chiefs, but he's expected to cede snaps to backup Jeff Driskel while the Texans implement a two-quarterback system, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com.
In his return from a two-game benching last weekend in Dallas, Mills surprisingly helped keep the 1-11-1 Texans competitive in a 27-23 loss to one of the NFC's top teams. However, Mills wasn't used as a traditional starter in his return, as he played exactly half of the snaps and finished with 16 completions on 21 attempts for 175 yards and an interception in the loss. Driskel, meanwhile, played half the game as well and attempted only six passes, though he was highly involved as a runner (seven carries for 36 yards). Assuming the rough timeshare remains in place Sunday, both Mills and Driskel are tough to rely on as fantasy options while neither receives a full snap count.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Manages game in loss to Dallas
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Mills completed 16 of 21 pass attempts for 175 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Cowboys.
Mills returned as Houston's starting quarterback after being benched for the last two games. He accounted for the majority of the team's pass attempts but did give way to Jeff Driskel on several occasions -- including for its lone passing touchdown of the game. Mills will presumably remain the Texans' starter moving forward, but it's fairly clear there is a lack of trust in him under center.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Back as starting QB
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Head coach Lovie Smith confirmed Wednesday that Mills will start at quarterback for the Texans this Sunday against the Cowboys, Drew Dougherty of the Texans' official site reports.
As a result, Kyle Allen -- who started the Houston's last two games -- will return to a backup role. Per DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com, Smith noted that the team expects "two weeks of watching from the sideline to help" Mills, who has recorded 2,144 passing yards and an 11:11 TD:INT through 10 outings this season. In his return to the starting lineup, the 2021 third-round pick represents an option at his position for those in deeper fantasy formats, as well as for managers in need of signal-caller depth while six NFL teams are on bye Week 14.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Set to reclaim starting job
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The Texans plan to return Mills to the starting quarterback role for Sunday's game at Dallas, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston.
Mills started the Texans' first 10 games before being benched in favor of Kyle Allen ahead of Week 12 after completing 61.9 percent of his throws for 6.5 yards per attempt and an 11:11 TD:INT. Allen didn't fare any better in double-digit losses to the Dolphins and Browns the past two weeks (59 percent completion rate, 5.3 YPA, 2:4 TD:INT), so the Texans will turn the offense back over to Mills with the hope that he can provide some sort of lift. Expect head coach Lovie Smith to confirm Mills' return to the top of the depth chart later in the week.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Unlikely start Sunday
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Mills appears set to move into a backup role for Sunday's game in Miami, as Kyle Allen is set to take first-team quarterback reps at the Texans' first Week 12 practice Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, head coach Lovie Smith declined to name a starting quarterback during his Wednesday news conference, but all signs point to Allen is drawing the assignment Sunday against the Dolphins. The 1-8-1 Texans have lost five games in a row with Mills at the helm, and the second-year signal-caller has recorded 2,144 passing yards and an 11:11 TD:INT in 10 outings this season.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Job status on notice
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Houston head coach Lovie Smith hinted Monday that Mills could lose his starting job, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports. "Made some decisions on how we're going to go forward. Like all changes, anything that we do from week to week, we've got to talk to the players before we talk to you," Smith said.
The coach faced questions about Mills after Sunday's loss to the Commanders, just like he did following a Week 10 loss to the Giants. Smith wasn't ready to comment immediately following Sunday's game, but his words Monday implied Kyle Allen could take over under center. "Kyle can make all of the throws," Smith said. "He has a history of good play in the NFL. And he's a veteran, he's been in this situation. He gets rid of the ball quickly. There's a lot of good to like about what Kyle has done." Expect the Texans to formally announce their plans at quarterback for Sunday's game in Miami based on how the next few practices unfold.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Won't get benched for now
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Houston head coach Lovie Smith said after Sunday's 24-16 loss to the Giants that he has no immediate plans to remove Mills from the starting role, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports. "I just don't think it's time," Smith said, when asked if he was considering a change at quarterback. "Simple as that. Quarterback position's a little bit different."
Mills threw for a respectable 319 yards in the Week 10 loss, but he's shown signs of regression in 2022 and his job security has been thrown into question as a result. Through nine games, Mills has a lower completion rate than he did as a rookie (62.3 percent versus 66.8 percent) and is fielding a worse passer rating (81.7 versus 88.8). Third downs in particular have been a problem -- Houston has converted just 31 percent -- and the Texans entered Sunday's loss 22nd in touchdown percentage in the red zone. They'll be further down the list after managing just one touchdown in six red-zone trips Sunday, including four in the fourth quarter that resulted in two field goals and two turnovers.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Tops 300 yards in loss
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Mills completed 22 of 37 passes for 319 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 24-16 loss to the Giants.
Mills topped 300 passing yards for the second time in his last four games and effectively spread the ball to a number of Texans' receivers. His lone touchdown came midway through the third quarter, when he connected with Nico Collins for a 12-yard score. Mills also matched his season-best mark of five completions of more than 20 yards, finding Chris Moore deep on three of those occasions. While it was a relatively positive performance, Mills threw an interception for the fourth consecutive game, with Sunday's coming at an inopportune time deep in Giants' territory in the fourth quarter. For the season, he now has 11 touchdowns as opposed to nine interceptions.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Falls back to earth in Week 8
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Mills completed 17 of 29 passes for 152 yards with a touchdown and an interception in Sunday's 17-10 loss to the Titans. He also picked up eight rushing yards on three carries.
Coming on the heels of his first 300-yard performance last week, Mills barely reached half that total, though he salvaged his performance a little with a three-yard TD toss to Dameon Pierce with 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Mills will face an even tougher challenge in Week 9 at home against the undefeated Eagles.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Tops 300 yards in loss
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Mills completed 28 of 41 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Raiders.
The second-year QB posted season highs in attempts, completions and yards as the Texans were forced to play catch-up for most of the fourth quarter. Mills, and the whole Houston offense, isn't really built to engage in shootouts, but they may be able to keep things closer in a Week 8 AFC South clash with the Titans.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Uninspiring in win
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Mills completed 16 of 24 pass attempts for 140 yards and rushed twice for two yards in Sunday's 13-6 win over the Jaguars.
Mills led Houston to its first victory of the regular season, but likely didn't lead any fantasy teams to glory with a mediocre stat line. On a positive note, the 23-year-old did not turn the ball over after throwing four interceptions over his previous two outings. The Texans enter a bye week following Sunday's win, so Mills will return to action against the Raiders on Oct. 23.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Two costly picks
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Mills completed 20 of 32 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in Sunday's 23-20 loss against the Bears.
Mills was decent for much of the game, and he spread targets around to many of his pass catchers. He led the Texans on a pair of touchdown drives, the first of which he capped with a four-yard touchdown toss to Jordan Akins. However, he also threw an interception with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter that led directly to the game-winning field goal for the Bears. Mills has reached 240 passing yards in two of three games this season, but he also has only three total touchdowns.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Modest numbers in Week 2 loss
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Mills completed 19 of 38 passes for 177 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the Texans' 16-9 loss to the Broncos on Sunday. He also rushed twice for one yard and committed two fumbles recovered by Houston.
Mills' lackluster numbers tell the tale of a typically difficult encounter with the Broncos defense on its home field, but to his credit, the second-year signal-caller helped keep Houston in the game until the waning seconds. He couldn't come through on his team's last-chance possession, however, with the Texans actually losing a yard on four plays before turning it over on downs. Mills continues to be a work in progress, but he seemingly has the talent to improve as the season unfolds and will look to up his numbers in a Week 3 visit to the Bears next Sunday.
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Texans' Davis Mills: Plays into second half Thursday
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Mills completed six of 10 passes for 58 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Thursday's 17-0 preseason win over the 49ers.
You wouldn't know it from his modest stat line, but Mills actually played the entire first half and the first drive of the second half for Houston, capping his final possession of the game with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Chris Moore. The Texans did most of their damage on the ground, which is something the team failed to find success at during Mills' rookie season. If rookie running back Dameon Pierce -- who capped Houston's opening drive with a one-yard touchdown -- can breathe life into the Texans' rushing attack in 2022, that could free up more space for the Mills-led Houston passing game.
