Despite our speculation below about Jake Delhomme getting his 14th career start against the Falcons this Sunday in Houston, rookie T.J. Yates, a Marietta native and former North Carolina Tarheel, will face his hometown team.
Pro Football Talk clarifies that Delhomme was signed to the Texan's roster over fellow semi-retired veteran Jeff Garcia because Houston was looking for a "quarterback whisperer" for Yates, who the team wants to start for the remainder of the season and the playoffs. Per PFT, Delhomme was comfortable as a backup/adviser, whereas Garcia wasn't. Despite his lack of experience, PFT says the team is high on Yates:
Houston is stressing for now that Yates is the guy, and you get the sense they will give him every opportunity to keep the job into the playoffs. Matt Schaub says Yates picked up Kubiak’s offense faster than any quarterback he’s seen.
It's been a strange Falcons season of opposing quarterbacks with local ties - Yates joins College Park native Cam Newton of the Panthers, former University of Georgia quarterback and current Detroit Lion Matt Stafford and a guy named Michael Vick as all having played the local team this season.
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