Manning debuts and reserves lead Broncos over Texans 14-10

The Texans fell to the Broncos 14-10 in their second preseason matchup against Denver.

Young players fighting to make the 53-man roster made big plays for Houston.

Brian Hoyer was 7-of-11 for 52 yards on his four drives to finish out the first half.

Mallett got the start, going 5-of-7 passing for just 23 yards on two drives.

Neither quarterback led a scoring drive – Tom Savage needed to enter the game in the second half to lead Houston into field-goal range.

Houston Texans’ Ryan Mallett (15) throws against the Denver Broncos during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, August 22, 2015, in Houston. Last year’s top overall pick outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, who returned to practice Monday, dressed for the game but did not play.

Omar Bolden, who sat out last week, was tackled by Charles James for a 6-yard loss on a punt in the first quarter. Osweiler completed 3 of 5 passes that included a 57-yard touchdown to Bubba Caldwell immediately following Manning’s move to the bench, boasting a 143.8 passer rating in his first series that emphasized what Kubiak’s offense can do.

Peyton Manning was kept scoreless by the Texans defense which was without starters J.J. J Watt, Vince Wilfork, and Jonathan Joseph out of action tonight.

Manning led the team on four drives that all ended with punts before he was replaced by Brock Osweiler with 11 minutes left in the second quarter.

Manning led a 10-play drive on his second possession, but the Broncos had to punt after an incompletion on a deep throw to Owen Daniels on third-and-17.

The Broncos, who struggled on special teams last week, fumbling two punts and allowing a 103-yard touchdown return, were a bit better on Saturday, but still had some issues. Chris Polk would carry the load on the drive rushing the ball and catching a few passes.

The Broncos would punt and pin the Texans deep in their own territory where the offense couldn’t get much going.

The Broncos capped off a 92-yard drive with a touchdown pass to Corbin Louks from quarterback Trevor Sieman with only 1:44 left to play. It gave the Broncos a 14-10 preseason victory over the Texans. It gained just two yards after Kareem Jackson shot through a block attempt by Anderson, but it hammered home a key point: some bread-and-butter aspects of the Broncos’ attack – like the bubble screen – will remain a part of Denver’s attack.

He put on an impressive display early against the Houston Texans as he showed off his arm strength. Savage converted three first downs, but the second year quarterback came up short after being sacked and ultimately running out of time.

The Texans next game is Sunday, August 30th as they travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints.