I felt like AJ should have started last year. I didn't feel like he should have started this year. He has better physical tools, but he plays pretty scatter-brained. It's not totally his fault, though. Michael Vick couldn't succeed in this offense with this line and with this OC.
I said starting with Rice was going to be a case of confirmation bias. People who suspected AJ was better got to see him play against two weak defenses. Many teams allowing 23 points per game would not be very good, but Houston can outscore people.