Texans vs. Saints: Previewing New Orleans' Preseason Week 3 Matchup
With the regular season drawing near, the New Orleans Saints will take the field for their third preseason outing Sunday afternoon, as they host the Houston Texans.
New Orleans dropped its first two preseason contests by a combined total of five points, although the Saints’ starters on both sides of the ball had their way with the New England Patriots a week ago.
In Week 3, coach Sean Payton’s squad will look to continue its forward progression, and it will enjoy the familiar comforts of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for the second straight week.
The Texans have split their two preseason contests thus far, handily defeating the San Francisco 49ers and falling to the Denver Broncos.
Read on for a complete preview of this matchup, which kicks off Sunday at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT.
Week 2 Recap
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After getting off to a sloppy start in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans’ offensive and defensive starters came out with something to prove last week against the Patriots.
With the entire starting secondary sidelined, coordinator Rob Ryan’s first-team defense forced Tom Brady and the vaunted New England offense into three consecutive three-and-outs to open the contest.
On the other side of the ball, Drew Brees made his 2015 preseason debut, and the perennial Pro Bowler didn’t disappoint in front of a fired-up crowd at the Superdome. He hit on eight of 10 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns, including an electrifying 45-yard first-quarter scoring toss to Brandin Cooks.
Backup quarterback Luke McCown also led the first-team offense to a touchdown, and New Orleans held a 21-7 lead at the intermission.
New England came roaring back in the second half, however, as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo carved up the Saints’ reserves, finishing with 269 yards and a touchdown while completing 28 of 33 passes.
With the Saints up 24-23 late in the contest, the Patriots’ Chris Harper found daylight and scampered for 28 yards on a punt return to give New England great field position. Several plays later, Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 35-yard field goal with 1:46 to go, and the Patriots pulled out a 26-24 exhibition win.
For the second straight week, it was a tale of two halves for the Saints. In stark contrast to the previous week, Payton’s starting offense was in midseason form, hanging 15 points on New England in the first quarter.
Ryan’s first-team defense, meanwhile, demonstrated dramatic improvement from the Baltimore game in Week 1, despite the absence of the starting secondary.
The Saints took their foot off the gas in the second half, however, as Garoppolo ran the New England offense to near perfection and the Patriots clawed their way back into it against the Saints’ second- and third-teamers.
News and Notes
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The Dress Rehearsal
It isn’t uncommon for starting players to see limited reps in the preseason, particularly in the first and last games.
That isn’t usually the case during the third game, however. Commonly referred to as “the dress rehearsal,” Week 3 of the preseason is when starters typically see the most playing time.
The extended time for the ones should make for a competitive first half of football between the Saints and the Texans, as first-teamers go toe-to-toe.
New Orleans' starting offense was outstanding in its home debut, and the unit will look to continue that momentum in the Superdome Sunday afternoon.
On defense, one of the key areas for the Saints starters will be their ability to stop the run for a second straight week. They were stellar in this department against the Patriots; defensive tackle Kevin Williams helped set the tone up front, while the linebackers and safeties often cleaned up quickly to prevent New England from moving the chains.
Breaux Set to Return to Action
Rookie cornerback Delvin Breaux was injured in the Saints’ preseason opener against the Ravens, and he sat out last week against the Patriots.
According to John DeShazier of NewOrleansSaints.com, the former CFL star is all set to play in front of the home crowd in New Orleans on Sunday, but it won’t be his first time suiting up in the Superdome.
A native of New Orleans, Breaux played in the building as a youth football player. Now, he has a chance to earn the starting nickel corner job, and he’ll be looking to make waves against the Texans come Sunday afternoon.
Injury News
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According to Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com, a multitude of players were absent from Wednesday's practice: running backs C.J. Spiller and Khiry Robinson, linebackers Dannell Ellerbe, Ramon Humber and Ronald Powell, cornerbacks Brandon Browner and P.J. Williams, offensive tackle Cyril Lemon, wide receiver Nick Toon, defensive end Anthony Spencer and safety Jairus Byrd.
Starting cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Keenan Lewis were also absent Wednesday.
Meanwhile, rookie linebacker Hau'oli Kikaha, who made a strong showing in the New England game, watched practice from the sideline.
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Players to Watch
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Kevin Williams
The Saints' starting front seven enjoyed considerable success when defending New England’s rushing attack a week ago, and defensive tackle Kevin Williams was a big reason why.
He didn’t record any tackles, but the 6’5,” 311-pounder was a disruptive presence against the Patriots’ starters, and he’ll look to make it two solid outings in a row this week against Houston.
A 12-year NFL veteran, Williams joined the Saints this offseason as a free agent and quickly earned a starting job on the New Orleans defensive line during training camp.
Hau’oli Kikaha
As stated earlier, Hau'oli Kikaha stood on the sidelines and watched Wednesday's practice in shorts, according to Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com. His status for the game is not certain, but if he's able to go, the rookie out of Washington will be one to watch closely against Houston, particularly when he lines up on the edge on obvious passing downs.
Kikaha experienced some difficulties in the Saints’ preseason opener in Baltimore, especially in pass coverage. He was one of the standouts on the starting defense last week, however, racking up five tackles, including a tackle for loss on Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount on the game's opening play from scrimmage.
Kenny Phillips
With starters Jairus Byrd and Kenny Vaccaro both missing in action, the Saints’ reserve safeties had the chance to make an impact against New England.
One safety who made the most of his opportunity was Kenny Phillips, who finished with five tackles, three of which were solo stops.
The former Miami Hurricane is a five-year NFL veteran, and he was a first-round draft choice of the New York Giants in 2008. He enjoyed a productive career in New York, but a series of knee injuries ended his stint with the Giants in 2012. Other than a brief preseason stop with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013, he’s been out of football for the past two seasons.
Phillips was active last week against the Patriots, and his impressive showing helped his cause in a bid for a roster spot. This week, the hard-hitting safety will be looking to deliver another solid performance against the Texans.
Brandon Coleman
When the Saints' first-team offense takes the field, wide receiver Brandon Coleman will once again be someone to keep an eye on.
The second-year man possesses rare size at 6’6” and 225 pounds, and he showed off a wide catch radius as a standout at Rutgers. He was New Orleans’ No. 3 wideout a week ago against the Patriots, but despite the Saints’ hot start in the contest, he was unable to record any statistics.
Coleman couldn’t come up with a would-be touchdown pass from Brees in the first quarter, although Patriots safety Devin McCourty applied tight coverage on the play.
This week, the former practice-squad player will look to get himself more involved in the passing attack, as he continues to try to earn Brees’ trust as a viable red-zone target.
Prediction
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The New Orleans starters should all see at least one half of football against Houston, and it won't be surprising if some of the ones put in three quarters of work.
Based on the Saints’ impressive offensive performance against the Patriots’ starters a week ago, expect New Orleans to come out sharp on Sunday.
Defensively, Ryan's front seven should generate a consistent pass rush against Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer.
Look for New Orleans’ No. 1 units to get out to another lead at the half, especially if the Saints can establish a running game with Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson. This time, however, the reserves will hold their ground and preserve the win for the home team.
Saints 27, Texans 17
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