The frustration on social media following Sunday’s 28-16 loss to the New England Patriots is still heavy, and the keyboard tapping is deafening. For the third consecutive year, DeMeco Ryans and his squad have been bounced in the Divisional Round. This time, however, the exit feels less like a valiant effort and more like a self-inflicted wound compared by some Texans fans.

Let's recap. The story of the game was C.J. Stroud’s nightmarish first half. Four interceptions, one of them a backbreaking Marcus Jones pick-six, which left the Texans trailing 21-10 at the break. While Ryans publicly backed his franchise cornerstone after the game, saying he "never considered" a change, and that "we have his back", we have to ask the hypothetical that every fan in H-Town is whispering today: What if he had actually pulled the trigger and made the switch?

Let's break out the time stone from the Infinity Gaunlet and in this alternate reality, Ryans walks into that frigid, snowy Foxborough locker room and makes the toughest call of his coaching career. He sees a skittish, scared, frustrated and mentally exhausted Stroud and remembers that during the regular season, while Stroud was sidelined, Davis Mills went 3-0.

Imagine Mills, a veteran with nothing to lose, stepping into the snow. He doesn't need to be a hero, but rather he just needs to be a caretaking navigator. In the actual game, Houston’s defense was heroic, forcing six three-and-outs and harassing Drake Maye into four fumbles. If Mills plays what some call "boring" football, avoids the fifth turnover (the Woody Marks fumble) and converts just one of those short-field opportunities into a touchdown instead of a Ka'imi Fairbairn field goal, the Texans leave Gillette Stadium with a 23-21 win.

If that scenario had played out, Houston would be packing their bags for a date with the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship. But a win would have birthed a controversy that could divide a city. And this is the perspective that most fans are missing. 

The Broncos are currently reeling after losing star QB Bo Nix to a season-ending ankle injury. They are forced to start Jarrett Stidham against a Houston defense that is arguably the best in the league. For the Texans, the path to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara would be wide open, if they could just figure out who is under center.

The Big Question: Who Starts in Denver?

If DeMeco Ryans had subbed in Davis Mills and he had sparked a comeback victory over the Patriots, he would be the man with the "hot hand." But C.J. Stroud is the face of the franchise.

So, we ask you, Texans fans: If Davis Mills had saved the season in Foxborough, who would you want leading the huddle at Mile High this Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line?

• The Franchise (Stroud): You dance with the one who brought you. He’s the MVP-caliber talent who just had a bad day in the snow.

• The Hero (Mills): You can't bench the guy who just won you a playoff game on the road.