HOUSTON — After suffering four losses in five games, including three by seven or fewer points, to fall to 4-5 entering their bye week, the Houston Texans are undergoing a transformation at the most important position on the team.

Coach Bill O’Brien decided Wednesday to demote starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and replace him with Ryan Mallett, a four-year veteran with one completion on his resume.

“This is something I think will help our team,” O’Brien said. “We’ll see how it goes. I might be wrong. But I think this might be the thing that helps our team, and we’ll see how it is.”

The move wasn’t a surprise. There had been speculation that Mallett would be promoted since O’Brien said after Sunday’s 31-21 loss to Philadelphia the offense needed a “spark” and declined to say Fitzpatrick would still be his starter.

The Texans have been in position to beat every team other than the New York Giants, but Fitzpatrick didn’t show the consistency the coaches wanted. He missed open receivers. He failed to see other receivers running free in the secondary. He didn’t produce the kind of big plays to turn the close defeats into victories.

“I didn’t like it (and), I don’t really agree with it, but I respect the (heck) out of coach O’Brien,” Fitzpatrick said. “Talking with him and him re-defining my role and what he expects out of me now, I’m going to play the good soldier.

“It’s going to be about being a good teammate and providing a support system for a guy that hasn’t played a lot of football in the NFL.”

The Texans acquired Mallett from New England the week before regular season began for a conditional seventh-round pick. Case Keenum failed to grasp the new system, so he was waived. Mallett was the only quarterback available who had knowledge of O’Brien’s system.

As the Patriots’ third-round pick in 2011, he played for O’Brien, who was the offensive coordinator. Texans quarterbacks coach George Godsey was on New England’s staff during Mallett’s three seasons and knows him better than O’Brien.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was excited,” Mallett said. “I’ve been waiting four years for this. But now it’s my time to have the opportunity to show what I can do. I’m going to make the best of it.”

Mallett watched and learned behind Tom Brady for three years. Then the Patriots gave up on him.

“We’re not asking him to go out there and be Tom Brady,” O’Brien said. “We’re asking him to go out there and be Ryan Mallett and be the best Ryan Mallett he can be.”

Mallett is in the last year of his contract, so the rest of the season has financial implications, too.

“I’m not thinking about that,” he said. “I’m just trying to help us get a win.”

When Mallett left Arkansas for the NFL draft, he had baggage, a reputation as a partier. He’s had no problems since he entered the NFL.

“My football IQ is a lot higher than a lot of people give me credit for,” Mallett said. “I like that. If they think I’m a dumb player, fine. That’s my advantage there. I’m just trying to get better.”

Mallett is the team’s fourth starting quarterback since Oct. 13, 2013, when they switched from Matt Schaub to Keenum. They signed Fitzpatrick to start after Schaub was traded to Oakland. They drafted Tom Savage in the fourth round. He’s firmly entrenched as the third quarterback.

“It’s not a matter of everybody pointing a finger at Fitz,” O’Brien said. “That’s what is really important for me to convey.”

O’Brien couldn’t bench the offensive linemen who did a poor job of protecting Fitzpatrick over the last four games.

Fitzpatrick was sacked only five times in the first five games. Then Indianapolis exposed them to the blitz, and opponents haven’t stopped. He was sacked 15 times in the last four games.

As left tackle Duane Brown pointed out Monday, it’s difficult for a quarterback to throw with a pass rusher in his face.

“I met with the offensive line,” O’Brien said. “Those guys take a lot of pride in what they do. They know they have to play at a more consistent level for us to play better. Everybody does.”

The sporadic pass protection has been the team’s biggest problem on offense. The running game has been outstanding with Arian Foster rushing for 822 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns.

Defensively, outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus emerged as an effective pass rusher with the best play of his career over the last four games. He’s been a nice complement to J.J. Watt, who’s been outstanding and is considered as the best defensive player in the league.

If the Texans could generate a more consistent pass rush, they might not give up so many big pass plays, including 18 touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney disclosed that he missed Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia because of soreness in his knee as well as illness.

“It was pretty much both, the knee and I was sick,” he said. “I don’t know what I had, but it wasn’t good. I’m feeling better. The knee is getting better.”

Clowney continues to have soreness in his knee that was surgically repaired after the first game of the season. He feels pain when he moves laterally. It could keep him out of the next game at Cleveland on Nov. 16.

“There are certain things going on with my knee still,” he said. “I’m not able to do the things I want to do. It’s just not where it needs to be right now. We’re taking a step back and trying to get it to where we need it be so I can play.”