Bill O'Brien names Texans QB Brian Hoyer starter for Week 6 vs. Jaguars

— -- Brian Hoyer is the  Houston Texans' starting quarterback.

For how long remains uncertain.

"I think it's 11 one-game seasons," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "He's the starter for  Jacksonville. I think over the last two games, he's gone in there with a really good attitude, with a calmness about him. Really good mechanics. Has he been perfect? No. ... I think overall he's played pretty well, so we're going to go with him against Jacksonville."

Hoyer relieved Ryan Mallett in the second quarter of Thursday night's 27-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He threw for 312 yards, completing 24 of 31 passes and throwing two touchdown passes to receiver Jaelen Strong.

Hoyer was the first quarterback since Chad Henne in 2012 to throw for more than 300 yards in a game he didn't start. His only significant miscue came in the fourth quarter with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Under pressure, Hoyer floated up a pass on third down that was intercepted.

Hoyer began the season as the Texans' Week 1 starter but was benched for Mallett in the fourth quarter of Houston's season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Mallett started the team's next three games; he went 1-2, throwing two touchdowns and three interceptions, and completed 50.8 percent of his passes.

With Mallett starting, the Texans (1-4) beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and lost to the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons. Against the Falcons, O'Brien pulled Mallett for Hoyer in the third quarter with Houston trailing 42-0. Hoyer led three touchdown drives against Atlanta.

"I think after that first game, I'm sure he put a lot of pressure on himself, and I think you probably saw that," O'Brien said of Hoyer. "Putting him in the Atlanta game -- granted, we were getting killed. Last night was a different story, and I thought he handled himself well other than that last play."

Mallett tried to re-enter the game but wasn't allowed to do so, and looked unhappy on the sideline. Asked about Mallett's demeanor both in the game and upon hearing the latest quarterback decision, O'Brien said he'd prefer to keep conversations with players private.

O'Brien recognizes that his handling of his quarterbacks is atypical.

"Is it an ideal situation as it relates to this league? No," O'Brien said. "I understand that. But we're moving on to Jacksonville. Brian Hoyer will start the game for Jacksonville, and we'll move on from there."