Texans vs. Saints: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints hosted the Houston Texans for their Week 3 preseason contest Sunday afternoon, and the home team came up on the losing end of a 27-13 score.
With the loss, New Orleans dropped to 0-3 on the preseason, while Houston ran its exhibition record to 2-1.
The Saints, who were impressive on both sides of the ball in last Saturdayโs close loss to the New England Patriots, didnโt take the commonly used approach for the third preseason game. Whereas teams typically give their starters significant minutes in Week 3, coach Sean Payton opted to rest numerous first teamers on offense and defense while the game was still in the first quarter.
Houston put together three 80-yard touchdown drives in the game, as the New Orleans defense struggled to stop the visitors in the red zone.
The Saints offense, meanwhile, rolled up 393 yards, but the unit was only able to reach paydirt one time, and it failed to score a touchdown on three trips inside the red zone.
Continue reading for a closer look at this preseason contest, including postgame grades, notes and quotes for the Saints.
Postgame Grades
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| QB | B- |
| RB | A- |
| WR/TE | C- |
| OL | B |
| DL | C+ |
| LB | C- |
| DB | C |
| Special Teams | B+ |
| Coaching | C |
Offense
The Saints offense got off to another fast start with Drew Brees under center. New Orleans put together a 75-yard march on the gameโs opening drive, with Brees hitting on four of six passes for 40 yards.
For the most part, the star signal-caller was exceptional on the drive, although he made his first mistake of the preseason with a misread on a pass near the goal line that was nearly intercepted. New Orleans ended the drive with a short Zach Hocker field goal.
Backup quarterback Luke McCown relieved Brees on the Saintsโ second possession and played for the remainder of the first half. His performance certainly wasn't awful, but itโs safe to say the 34-year-old veteran has enjoyed better outings during his time in New Orleans. He threw for 117 yards on 8-of-14 passing, but the New Orleans offense was held out of the end zone during the first and second quarters.
McCown coughed up the ball on a sack-fumble late in the second quarter after rookie tackle Andrus Peat was beaten by Houstonโs Tony Washington.
In a somewhat unexpected move, rookie Garrett Grayson was given the ball to begin the second half, and he led the New Orleans offense until Ryan Griffin finally came in with just under a minute left to play.
The Saints scored their first and only touchdown of the game in the third quarter as running back Edwin Baker gained the edge and scampered 45 yards down the left sideline and into the end zone.
New Orleans quarterbacks received decent protection, for the most part, and the home team accumulated 253 passing yards in the contest. Saints receivers failed to come down with numerous catchable balls, however, and there was a notable lack of playmaking from the group.
Josh Morgan came up empty-handed on more than one occasion, and the seven-year NFL veteran may have cost himself a roster spot with his shaky outing.
Meanwhile, training camp standout Willie Snead delivered perhaps his most impressive performance to date, as he snagged four balls for 56 yards.
Rookie running back Marcus Murphy also stood out, finishing with a team-leading 67 receiving yards to go with 43 yards on the ground.
Defense
On their first offensive possession of the game, the Texans marched downfield for a touchdown. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins proved to be a handful for Saints cover man Keenan Lewis, although their brief showdown didnโt extend past Houstonโs opening drive.
Rookie linebackers Stephone Anthony and Hauโoli Kikaha once again started for the Saints, while fellow rookie Tyeler Davison saw considerable playing time with the first team at defensive tackle.
The Saintsโ lack of a consistent pass rush was perhaps the most puzzling aspect of their defensive performance Sunday, although there were some rookies on the front seven who made noteworthy plays. They included Davison, Kikaha, Tavaris Barnes and Ashaad Mabry.
In the secondary, safety Kenny Phillips turned in another nice outing, as he led all defenders with eight tackles.
Rookie cover man Damian Swann also saw significant snaps, and he looks to be making a strong case for himself as the Saints dime corner.
Special Teams
Hocker continued to make things interesting in the battle for the Saintsโ kicking job, as he blasted a 53-yard field goal that had room to spare in the second quarter.
Jalen Saunders handled the bulk of the kickoff returns in this one, and he didnโt disappoint in bringing back five kicks for 132 yards, including a 50-yard run-back early in the third quarter.
The Saints coverage units were solid, as Houston only managed eight yards on a single punt return. As for kickoffs, Hocker and Dustin Hopkins continued their preseason-long practice of booming kicks deep into the end zone for touchbacks.
Saints Stack Up Penalties
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For the second time in three preseason games, New Orleans was plagued by penalties Sunday, as the home team collected 11 flags for 148 yards.
In their preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens, the Saints piled up 143 yards on 16 penalties. After cutting down on the miscues during last weekโs game against the New England Patriots, the Saints were again troubled by penalties throughout Sundayโs contest.
Such an abundance of errors would likely be highly problematic for Paytonโs squad during a regular-season contest, and the coach and his staff will be looking to minimize the mistakes in the teamโs final preseason game this Thursday.
Multiple Starters Held out of Action
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Sundayโs meeting wonโt be the last time the Saints and the Texans meet up this season. The two squads are slated to face off in the regular season November 29 in Houston, but their second meeting figures to be much different.
With Brandon Browner and Kenny Vaccaro held out of the contest and Jairus Byrd still missing in action, the Saints were without three key starters in their secondary.
On the Houston side, J.J. Watt, Vince Wilfork and Jadeveon Clowney all sat this one out. As a result of these notable absences, the Texans' defensive front was a far cry from what theyโll put on the field during the regular season. Barring injuries, the Saints can expect a full dose of the formidable trio come late November.
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Sunseri Carted off the Field
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Unlike last week, the Saints were unable to make it through this one without major injuries. According to ESPN.com Saints reporter Mike Triplett, safety Vinnie Sunseri was carted off the fieldย in the first half with an undetermined injury.
The former fifth-round pick out of Alabama played in nine games in 2014, recording five tackles as a special teamer and backup safety before an arm injury cut his rookie season short.
With starters Jairus Byrd and Kenny Vaccaro already sidelined, Sunseriโs injury makes the Saints even thinner at the safety spot as they head into their final week of the preseason.
Delvin Breaux on His Emotions After Taking the Field for the First Time
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Rookie cornerback Delvin Breaux joined the team this offseason as a free agent, and Sunday afternoon was his first experience playing in front of the home crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. After the game, he was quotedย as follows on the Saints official site, NewOrleansSaints.com:
โIt was unbelievable. My dream actually came true when I was walking out of the tunnel and hearing the guy call my name on the (public address system), as well as just hearing the screaming fans. It was one of the best feelings I have ever felt.โ
Starting at cornerback in place of Brandon Browner, Breaux recorded two solo tackles in the contest. The former CFL star is a safe bet to start at nickel corner in the season opener, and at 6โ1", he has the length to play on the outside as well if need be.
Breaux, who was unable to play college football after breaking his neck during his senior year of high school, is a New Orleans native. He played for the Arena Leagueโs New Orleans VooDoo before enjoying two stellar seasons with the CFLโs Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
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