That first preseason game for Houston didn’t just end in a 27-7 loss to the Chargers, it delivered a gut punch when backup quarterback Graham Mertz tore his right ACL. This isn’t just a tough break for the guy, it means the entire QB3 battle and potential backup slot for next season just got massively disrupted for the Texans.
Depth on Display, Then Gone
The whole point of the first preseason game is to see what the back end of the roster can do, right? For a top-heavy squad like Houston’s, especially on defense, showing off that depth is crucial. For a while, the depth players put up some generally quality defense. But let’s be real, when the talent drop-off hit and the Houston offense couldn’t get anything going, that defense broke in the fourth quarter against the Chargers. How many of those guys who played a ton of minutes, especially in the second half, actually make the final roster is a total guessing game. But one thing’s for sure: the results from this game itself mean absolutely nothing come September 13th.
The 12 Formation Didn’t Exactly Inspire Confidence
During the offseason, Houston’s Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley talked a big game about running way more plays out of a 12 formation, that’s one running back and two tight ends. Last season, they were mostly in 11 formations with just one tight end, and we all saw how that went: mixed results, at best. The idea is to diversify the play-calling and give a bottom-tier running game more blockers. Sounds good on paper, but it means you need tight ends who can actually catch and block. In this game, the results were definitely mixed. There were some highlights, sure, but honestly, the Houston offense didn’t exactly reassure anyone that these 12 formations are going to be a game-changer.
Mertz’s Crisis Moment Just Smashed Houston’s QB Depth
Seasons aren’t won in preseason, but they can sure as hell get derailed. Houston got perilously close to that at the end of the first half. The plan was for Davis Mills and the first-team offensive line to get one series, then hand it over to Mertz. The guy, a 2025 sixth-round pick, desperately needed this preseason to lock down that QB3 spot and maybe even position himself for the backup role next year. Mills led an opening drive touchdown, and then Mertz took over. His stat line? Four of seven for 23 yards passing, not exactly moving the needle. He did have three rushes for 15 yards. But it was that last nine-yard scramble that brought everything crashing down. Mertz went to the ground, grabbing his leg. He walked off under his own power, but he didn’t come back. Head coach Ryans later confirmed it: an ACL tear. This was confirmed on Friday night: Mertz tore his right ACL and is out for the rest of the season. And get this: his college career at Florida also ended with an ACL tear. Talk about a brutal blow.
So, while the game results are meaningless, Mertz’s injury is anything but. It’s a huge blow to Houston’s quarterback depth and a crushing setback for a player who needed this preseason badly. You just hate to see it happen, especially when a player is fighting for a spot.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Battle Red Blog.
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