The Facts: Before we get to witness the Texans' intriguing quarterback battle on Hard Knocks this summer, the signal-callers have some work to do to ramp up the competition. The road to the starting gig began Wednesday at OTAs. Mallett and Brian Hoyer split starter reps during practice. Hoyer took the initial reps under center.

Diehards Line: "I've been through it before," Hoyer said of the battle, alluding to his competition with Johnny Manziel last season on the Browns. "I'm not going to let it affect me and I'll just be myself and really focus on the things that I can control." Hoyer, who is re-learning the offense after spending time with Bill O'Brien in New England, added that the tempo of the offense stood out. Mallett told reporters that he's fine after recovering from pectoral surgery. "I was just ready to go," said Mallett. NFL.com's Kevin Patra characterized the fact that Hoyer got the first snaps "interesting," with Mallett technically the incumbent. But it's a little early to start drawing conclusions.