HOUSTON -- On a sweltering Tuesday in August at the Houston Methodist Training Center, situated in the shadow of NRG Stadium, the eyes of most observers were fixed on second-year Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills. Onlookers watched as the 23-year-old sliced Houston's defense in a death-by-1,000 papercuts style, mostly taking what he was given and occasionally making a big play down the field.
Those who weren't watching Mills? Many were watching first-year Texans coach Lovie Smith watch Mills. His quarterback's play will have much to say about how Smith's early tenure, and the direction of a rebuilding franchise, unfolds.