Saints vs. Texans: What's the Game Plan for New Orleans?

After a bye in Week 11, the New Orleans Saints will hit the road to take on the Houston Texans in a Sunday afternoon matchup.

The Saints (4-6) are looking to snap a two-game losing skid, but head coach Sean Payton's club will have to do so in unfriendly territory against a 5-5 Texans squad that has won three straight.

New Orleans, which ranks dead last in the NFL in total defense, will be playing in its first game without former defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Following their 47-14 Week 10 loss to the Washington Redskins, the Saints fired Ryan, who was in the midst of his third season in New Orleans.

Defensive assistant Dennis Allen will serve as Ryan’s replacement, and he’ll have his hands full against a Texans offense that's coming off an impressive showing against a stingy New York Jets defense.

Let’s take a closer look at a few things to watch for in this matchup, which kicks off Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Defense

It’s not difficult to understand the Saints’ decision to part ways with Ryan, especially when considering the fact they’re giving up an average of 424.3 yards per game.

A change at defensive coordinator isn’t likely to suddenly solve the Saints’ extensive list of issues on that side of the ball, but it could provide a spark to what had become a lethargic, uninspired unit.

Allen, who’s only been a coordinator for one year in his career, could shake things up in several areas, one of which is the inconsistent New Orleans pass rush.

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Despite his reputation as an aggressive defensive play-caller, Ryan didn’t exactly turn up the heat on opposing passers this season, as multiple quarterbacks enjoyed prolific outings against the Saints.

Look for Allen, who worked under former New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in 2009 and 2010, to perhaps dial up more blitzes against the Texans. Houston comes in with the league’s seventh-ranked passing attack, and the Saints can’t afford to allow signal-caller Brian Hoyer to sit back in the pocket and pick them apart.

Under head coach Bill O’Brien and offensive coordinator George Godsey, the Texans run a complex offense that places a lot of responsibility on the quarterback.

The Saints haven’t generated consistent pressure this season with a four-man rush, and a more aggressive blitz package may be just what they need to throw Hoyer off his game.

Houston’s top offensive weapon is DeAndre Hopkins, who’s established himself this season as one of the top wide receivers in the game. New Orleans corner Delvin Breaux will likely draw that assignment on the majority of plays, and the best way for the Saints to help their talented young cover man is by applying the pressure on Hoyer and not allowing him to get clean looks down the field.

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As for the running game, the Texans are quite diverse in their scheme, utilizing both power and zone-blocking concepts. They haven’t enjoyed much sustained success on the ground, but their offensive line is capable of giving the Saints all they want up front.

No matter what Houston does, New Orleans must set the tone early by winning individual battles at the line of scrimmage. A few minor personnel changes may be coming along the defensive front, but with the Saints defense hampered by injuries, a radical lineup shake-up is unlikely.

Under Allen’s direction, look for the New Orleans defense to play with more aggression in this one, as the Saints look to disrupt the potent Houston air attack with a steady pass rush.

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Offense

In the passing game, Drew Brees and the Saints will likely stick to their time-tested strategy of spreading the defense horizontally and then attacking vertically.

New Orleans often starts out with quick-hitting throws to backs and tight ends in the flats while mixing in a few wide receiver slants. Brees then likes to go vertical and work the seams, as he looks for favorable matchups to exploit downfield.

Mark Tenally/Associated Press

While this proven plan of attack has resulted in New Orleans fielding the league’s No. 2-ranked pass offense this season, Sunday’s matchup presents a unique challenge.

Texans end J.J. Watt is the NFL’s best defensive player, and he’s capable of single-handedly disrupting an opponent’s game plan. A menacing pass-rusher, Watt leads the league with 11.5 sacks, 7.5 of which have come in his last four games.

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Double-teaming Watt will undoubtedly be a staple of the Saints’ blocking strategy this week, but they’ll first have to identify his whereabouts on the defensive line. Houston defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel makes a concerted effort to move his star lineman around a great deal in the Texans’ base 3-4, as well as in their sub-packages. 

Both Saints tackles, Terron Armstead and Zach Strief, will be tasked with blocking Watt on a significant number of snaps, but New Orleans’ guards, as well as center Max Unger, could also find themselves across from the All-Pro at various points in the game.

Statistics obtained via ESPN.com

Brees should identify Watt before each snap, but regardless of pre-snap alignments, the Saints signal-caller must get the ball out quickly.

Of course, the New Orleans ground game will also be key in this one. Houston’s No. 22-ranked rush defense has experienced its share of difficulties this year, and New Orleans’ ability to balance its offense with sustained success between the tackles will go a long way toward a victory on Sunday.

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Prediction

With a 4-6 record, the Saints will treat this week’s contest as a must-win.

The change at defensive coordinator will likely provide a brief spark, if nothing else, especially if Allen attempts to energize the defense with more of an attacking style of play.

New Orleans still has major defensive issues, however, and the team’s injury problems have only compounded the unit’s overall lack of depth.

Until the Saints show something different on the field, there’s no reason to think Hoyer, Hopkins and the Houston offense won’t have considerable success on Sunday.

On the other side of the ball, the Saints should be able to establish a running game, but their ability to keep Watt from getting to Brees is highly questionable. New Orleans has allowed six sacks and 13 hits on its quarterback in the last two games, and neither the Redskins nor the Tennessee Titans had a defender of Watt’s caliber in the lineup.

The Saints will score points, but it won’t be enough to earn a victory against a surging Houston club on the road.

Texans 28, Saints 20