The Sports Xchange

Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett, frustrated when he wasn’t named the starter coming out of training camp, is excited for the second chance already in Week 2.

Head coach Bill O’Brien officially announced Thursday that Mallett will start Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, replacing Week 1 starter Brian Hoyer.

Mallett admitted he didn’t expect Hoyer to lose the job he had just earned.

“You feel bad when it’s one week, but at the same time, you’re excited to get out there and show what you’ve been working toward,” Mallett told the Houston Chronicle.

Mallett played well in the opener against the Kansas City Chiefs after replacing Hoyer with 6:10 left in the game. Mallett was 8-of-13 passing for 98 yards with one touchdown and two-point conversion pass in the 27-20 defeat.

“I feel like when Ryan entered the game, he added a spark to our team,” O’Brien said Thursday. “I felt like he moved the ball downfield. He was decisive, had some energy, showed good leadership. We scored 10 (11) points. It’s not an indictment on Brian Hoyer, still have great respect for Brian as a player and as a person. Still think he’s a great leader in our locker room.”

Mallett expressed disappointment in losing the starting job to start the season.

“I wasn’t angry; I was upset because of the work I put in I should have been named the starter,” Mallett said of Hoyer initially getting the job. “It was good competition. … We’ve got a good room. We’re going to continue to support each other and be in each other’s corner like I was last week, he’ll do the same thing for me. It’s a team effort.

“I started working even harder after that. It’s my dream to play every week, every down, and I’m going to keep chasing it and do what I have to do to achieve that.”