Small watch parties will form throughout Northwest Arkansas today for Ryan Mallett, who’ll takes the field as the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans at noon on CBS.
“I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” said Dax Moreton of Lincoln, a close friend of the Mallett family.
Moreton played football at Lincoln for Ryan’s dad, Jim Mallett, and Ryan’s mother, Debbie, was his high school English and Speech teacher. A close friendship developed between the Moreton and Mallett families and Dax was there when Ryan made his NFL starting debut with the Texans at Cleveland last year.
“We were also at the watch party when Ryan got drafted and I saw him play his first preseason game at New England,” Moreton said of Mallett, who was born in Batesville but went to school at Lincoln through the sixth grade. “Ryan has the talent. He just needs to play smart and perform up to his ability.”
Mallett will be opposed today by the Carolina Panthers and quarterback Cam Newton, a former rival in the SEC.
The two last met as starting quarterbacks in 2010 when No. 7 Auburn hosted No. 12 Arkansas before 87,451 fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Newton dominated the action by rushing for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 65-43 victory over the Razorbacks. The eventual Heisman Trophy winner also passed for 140 yards and 1 touchdown on 10 of 14 completions.
Mallett left the game with a head injury in the first half after throwing for 98 yards. He was replaced by Tyler Wilson, who tried to rally the Razorbacks with four touchdowns and 332 yards passing.
Newton has continued to outshine Mallett beyond the SEC, starting in 2011 when Newton was the top pick by Carolina in the NFL draft. Mallet waited two days before he was selected in the third round by the New England Patriots where he, basically, held the clipboard for three years as a backup to the game’s best quarterback.
Mallett finally got on the field last year for two starts after he was traded from New England to Houston, where former New England offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien was named the head coach. Mallett resigned with Houston, expecting to win the quarterback job over Brian Hoyer, who was named the starter.
Hoyer’s reign lasted one game after he was ineffective during last week’s defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, the 6-foot-7 Mallett is back in the saddle for the Texans, who have high hopes for a successful season if they resolve their situation at quarterback.
Arkansas fans know all about Mallett, who can look awfully impressive with his ability to stand tall in the pocket and fire rockets downfield. But he can frustrate fans, and his coaches, especially, with poor decisions that result in turnovers.
Mallett passed for over 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2010, but it’s hard to forget the interception he threw in the Sugar Bowl against Ohio State. Arkansas appeared on the verge of overtaking the Buckeyes after a blocked punt set the Razorbacks up at the 18-yard line with just over a minute to play. Two plays later, defensive end Soloman Thomas dropped into coverage and intercepted a short pass by Mallett to preserve a 31-26 victory for the Buckeyes.
Four years later, Mallett has reached a critical juncture in his football career. Mallett played pretty well off the bench last week against the Chiefs, but he missed on some throws that could have resulted in a touchdown instead of a long field goal by the Texans.
It’s unlikely O’Brien will switch quarterbacks against if Mallett has a bad game today, but a string of poor performances could render Mallett as no better than an NFL backup.
Mallett can do better, especially if he can make good decisions to go along with his exceptional skills as a passer.
“I think it’ll be a good day for Ryan,” Moreton said. “I’ll pick Ryan and the Texans to win, 28-14.”
Sounds good. Be confident but careful, Ryan.
Seize the day.