Improved defense helps Texans turn season around

Hoyer was seven-of-seven in the air on the drive. The Saints rank third-worst in rushing yards allowed per game, second-worst in passing yards allowed per game and they allow the most points per game.

The Texans are looking to get above.

“Give a lot of credit to their defense and their plan”. Tight end Ryan Griffin was the recipient of a 10-yard scoring pass from Hoyer with 6:57 remaining in the first quarter and receiver Cecil Shorts III capped the Texans’ seven-play scoring march with a 3-yard touchdown reception with 89 seconds left in the first quarter. Saints QB Drew Brees surpassed 3,000 passing yards for the season in the first half, joining Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino and Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in league history with 13 3,000-yard seasons….

“It’s a neat experience”, Watt said.

Was Drew Brees off yesterday throwing the ball?

“Listen, I have a ton of respect for him”, Payton said on Sunday. “That was pretty cool”. They have won their last four games, which has given them a winning record. Running back Mark Ingram had a team-high six receptions for 45 yards, while wide receivers Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead and Marques Colston combined for just 12 catches for 128 yards. So he simply looked over at Houston’s sideline and saluted, which has now become his signature move after a sack.

“There was some good and then there were some times where he struggled, ” Payton said, citing holding and false start penalties. They were three-point favorites today.

So did Watt say anything to Brees after that sack.

“I thought offensively, we hurt our defense”, Payton said. Which I think is encouraging to some degree because you know they will have that experience, but I think it’s more week to week focused on this team right now as opposed to never any point do you ever look at playing for next year. He had two more sacks Sunday, increasing his season total to an NFL-leading 13.5. The second half, we sucked.

They lost to the rolling Houston Texans, 24-6, and Brees didn’t throw a single touchdown pass for the first time since November 11, 2012.

It seemed to me once the Texans got to 24-6, Houston’s coach Bill O’Brien went into clock melting mode to make sure Brian Hoyer didn’t do anything dumb to lose the game.

That ignominious feat has occurred for the Saints only once in the past 36 years.

-LB David Hawthorne (thigh) missed his second consecutive game Sunday against the Houston Texans and his return is unknown.

CINCINNATI – Andy Dalton threw three touchdown passes – two of them to A.J. Green – and the Bengals ended their brief slide. Allen coached the secondary in 2009, when the Saints won the Super Bowl, clinching the victory when cornerback Tracy Porter jumped a route and returned an interception of Peyton Manning for a touchdown.

Eight of the first 10 plays for the Saints offense went for one yard or less.

Two plays later, Carr hit Roberts for the winning touchdown. Hopkins has snagged numerous catches this year with one hand, including one where he used one hand to trap the ball on his helmet. “He does them all the time at practice…”

November 29, 2015: The 5-5 Texans host the 4-6 Saints at NRG Stadium.