Saints-Texans – Four Things To Watch For

Houston raced into a 14-0 lead with touchdowns on their first two possessions as Brian Hoyer picked out Ryan Griffin for a 10-yard score before connecting with Cecil Shorts III from three yards.

They had a respite after playing Miami when they got to face a Tennessee Titans offense without starting quarterback Marcus Mariota. The Texans were the only team in the league to not score on their opening drive.

“Kind of been what we want as a gameplan type defense”.

The wide receivers didn’t have a big statistical day against the Saints, but if you keep Hoyer’s problem with accuracy in mind, it feels fair to judge the position on a bit of a curve.

The Saints offense can only do so much when the defense puts them in a hole they can’t dig out. Each week the Texans seem to get better, and there’s no slowing them down.

Quarterback TJ Yates complted 16 of 34 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns. Defensive end Cameron Jordan has been the heart and soul of this unit with a team-high six sacks while rookie linebacker Hau’Oli Kikaha has four and rotational end Kasim Edabli has three. Eight of their first 10 plays of the game went for 1 yard or less.

Hopkins masters 1-handed snare: Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins has become enough of a master of the one-handed catch that the Pro Bowl candidate has drawn praise from fellow practitioners Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. on social media. “Hoyer had to buy some time and then threw it over the middle”.

-DE J.J. Watt had five tackles, two sacks and seven quarterback hits.

The Houston defense has been on fire the past four games, and kept the Saints out of the end zone for the first time in 155 quarters. Watch Saints vs Texans online free live streaming on CBS Sports TV today as the Texans try to get above.500. Despite ranking second in the National Football League in total offense, the Saints were just 26th in rushing yards per play (3.85) entering Sunday. The Texans sported the seventh ranked defense that continues to rise.

Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson is helped to his feet by Andre Hal (29) and Quintin Demps (27) after intercepting a pass that he would return 50 yards.

“We couldn’t stay on the field and it really took an effect on our defense, because they’re a good third-down front and part of it is your first and second-down efficiency”.

4. More J.J. Watt When the Texans were 2-5 a few weeks ago, we got perhaps the surliest version of J.J. Watt that we’ve seen in his career as a Texan.

Phenomenal effort by the Texans secondary. We’re on the ground in a couple zone schemes.

The final game of the day say the Chicago Bears pull off a stunning upset to defeat the Green Bay Packers 17-13. Houston changed that on the first drive of the third quarter.

At the time the Texans only had a one-score lead, and despite how well his defense had played, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable to be concerned about the Saints offense finally figuring things out and going on a run in the second half.

Because if he’s getting “tired” of being in NOLA, then he needs to get on down the road now – so the team can move on about the business of going into full rebuilding mode, and bring in the next head coach and start the NEXT Era of Saints football. Out of the wreckage rose this team – the one they were supposed to be from the beginning.