Ryan Mallett Bests Brian Hoyer in ‘Brady Backup Bowl’
In the game between the last two backups to Tom Brady, it was the more recent No. 2 who came out on top.
The Houston Texans beat the Cleveland Browns 23-7 on Sunday in a contest that featured the first meeting between Houston quarterback Ryan Mallett and Cleveland quarterback Brian Hoyer – two players who cut their teeth in the NFL backing up Brady in Foxborough.
Mallett passed for 211 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, while Hoyer threw for 330 yards with a touchdown and one interception.
Mallett’s first quarter touchdown that gave Houston a 7-0 lead was the first of his NFL career. The recipient was a bit out of the ordinary, as defensive lineman J.J. Watt was brought in as an eligible receiver and hauled in the pass.
Although both now start in the NFL, the two share the common bond of having served as the last two backup quarterbacks to Brady coming into this season.
Hoyer came to the Patriots in 2009 as an undrafted rookie out of Michigan State, while Mallett was taken by the Pats in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft.
In three seasons with the Patriots, Hoyer completed 27 of 43 pass attempts for 286 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Mallett totaled just four regular season pass attempts in a Patriots uniform, completing one while also throwing an interception.
Hoyer was cut by the Patriots at the end of the 2012 preseason, while Mallett was traded from the Pats this past summer to make room for second round pick Jimmy Garoppolo.
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