Texans QB Davis Mills Has Historically Bad Performance Vs. Bills

Nobody ever claimed that playing quarterback in the NFL was easy, and that was evident for Texans rookie quarterback Davis Mills on Sunday.

In his second career start, the 2021 third round pick had a game to forget. In fact, it was the worst performance of an NFL quarterback in over three years, at least according to quarterback rating (QBR). Mills posted a paltry 0.8 QBR against the Bills, throwing for just 87 yards on 11-of-21 completions with four picks. When it was all said and done, the Texans were routed 40-0 and have now dropped to 1-3.

Only Nathan Peterman has had a worse outing in the last three years. Peterman completed just 5-of-18 passes for 24 yards and two interceptions for a QBR of 0.7 against the Ravens in 2018. Oddly enough, Peterman was playing for the Bills at the time, so things have certainly improved in Buffalo since then.

It's clear that Mills is not ready to play in the NFL, but the Texans have no other options at the quarterback position.

Growing pains were expected from Mills, who was sprung into action this season due to Deshaun Watson's legal troubles and Tyrod Taylor's injury. Taylor is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, making Mills QB1 in Houston. Mills doesn't have time to sulk, as he has a date with Bill Belichick and the Patriots' stout defense next Sunday.

If Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson's debut against Belichick's defense in Week 2 is any indication, Mills might have a repeat of Sunday's performance awaiting him in New England.

Written by
Nick Geddes is a 2021 graduate of the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. A life-long sports enthusiast, Nick shares a passion for sports writing and is proud to represent OutKick.