The starting quarterback for the Texans is still an unknown. But Case Keenum and Thad Lewis both have a connection with Andre Johnson, who'll likely be back on the field after missing Week 15's loss at Indianapolis.
Lewis signed with the Texans on November 26, and started five games last season in Buffalo. He helped lead the Bills to a pair of wins in those five starts, tossing five touchdowns and four interceptions, and finishing with 1,296 passing yards. He was a four-year starter at Duke University, and was under the tutelage of Bill O'Brien when the current Texans head coach was an offensive coordinator there.
But Lewis grew up in south Florida, and attended Hialeah-Miami Lakes High School. Aside from a few
weeks on the Texans roster, that's where the Lewis-Johnson connection originated.
"I've worked with Thad in the offseason before," Johnson said on Tuesday morning. **LISTEN HERE** "Thad is from Miami, so he's thrown to me a lot of times when we used to train back home."
Lewis was asked on Monday whether or not he was prepared enough to start on Sunday, and he answered without hesitation.
"No question," Lewis said. "Obviously, the coach is going to do what he feels like and ask you certain questions of what you're comfortable running and what you're not comfortable with. You will work together to put a game plan this week and then go out there and execute."
Keenum, meanwhile, rejoined the Texans on Monday morning after spending the first three months of the regular season on the Saint Louis practice squad. He and Johnson connected for five touchdowns last season, and the veteran wideout likes the former Houston Cougar's approach to the quarterback position.
"Yeah that was cool," Johnson said. "Case is the type of person that he's just going to give his guy a chance. You can't really argue with that as a wide receiver. You like that about a quarterback."
Keenum was under center for eight starts last season, and he threw nine touchdowns and five interceptions. He finished with 1,760 passing yards.
The Texans are off on Tuesday, and will hit the practice field Wednesday at the Houston Methdodist Training Center.
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