HOUSTON -- Brian Hoyer admitted this week that being benched during the Houston Texans' season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs affected his very close relationship with Texans coach Bill O'Brien.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Billy," Hoyer said. "So obviously that wasn't the best of our relationship, but here we are right where we wanted to be. When I signed my contract, this is where we wanted to be. We wanted to be in the playoffs. So it doesn't matter how you get there. We're here now. It's a new season. My relationship with him couldn't be better."

He'll now lead the Texans into their wild-card game against the Chiefs at home on Saturday.

Hoyer struggled in his first start for the Texans. He threw an interception on his first pass. He fumbled the ball inside the Texans' 15-yard line. With a little more than six minutes remaining in the game, O'Brien pulled him for backup Ryan Mallett.

"There's a lot of anger and some feelings that you have," Hoyer said. "But for me, it just pushed me to come in and work harder and be ready for my next opportunity."

Mallett became the team's starter for the next four games and went 1-3. He is the only one of the four Texans quarterbacks with a losing record this season.

Hoyer did not play in the next two games, but he did enter in relief of Mallett in the following two -- a blowout loss to the Atlanta Falcons and a close loss to the Indianapolis Colts. They were part of a five-game stretch in which Hoyer threw at least two touchdown passes each game. His performances earned him back the starting job by Week 6.

During the Texans' bye week, O'Brien told the whole team he'd erred in benching Hoyer so quickly.

"For him to do that obviously meant a lot, and I think our team responded too," Hoyer said. "I think ever since then we've gone on a roll, and we've got to continue to do that."

In terms of the storyline, this weekend's game is a shot at redemption for Hoyer, but he isn't seeing it that way. It's much less personal in his mind.

"It's not a personal vendetta of me versus the Kansas City Chiefs," Hoyer said. "They played us tough, and it was tough for us to have success against them. So I think if anything that's a challenge, again, to go against these guys."