Houston goes to 2-0 in preseason with 16-9 win over New Orleans

Will Fuller (15) scored the game's only touchdown
on a 19-yard pass from Brock Osweiler.
Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (August 20, 2016) The Houston Texans went to 2-0 in preseason with a 16-9 win over the New Orleans Saints at NRG Stadium in Houston on Saturday, August 20, 2016. The Texans are now 5-4 against the Saints in preseason action. Last season, Houston downed New Orleans by the score of 27-13 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans in preseason action. In the regular season, the Texans came away victorious in Week 12 by the score of 24-6 at NRG Stadium.

The Texans won the coin toss and elected to receive to start the game. After three-and-out, Houston punted with the following punt return fumbled by New Orleans. The Texans recovered; giving them great field position on the Saints’ 39-yard line. Quarterback Brock Osweiler engineered a six play, 39-yard drive that ended with a 19-yard pass to rookie wide receiver Will Fuller. Kicker Nick Novak split the uprights for the extra point to give the Texans a 7-0 lead with 9:37 remaining in the first quarter. The Texans added three additional points to their total early in the second quarter when Novak booted a 49-yard field goal at the 14:47 mark. Osweiler continued to play well into the second quarter, when head coach Bill O’Brien decided he was finished for the evening. At the 4:58 mark in the second quarter, Tom Savage took over quarterback duties for the Texans. Osweiler completed 12 passes, on 19 attempts, for 124 yards and one touchdown. He was also intercepted once. The Texans closed out the half with another Novak field goal; this time a 46 yarder to cap a seven-play, 56-yard drive.

After some back-and-forth play during the majority of the third quarter, New Orleans was finally able to get on the scoreboard with 3:23 remaining in the third quarter when Kai Forbath kicked a 33-yard field goal. The score capped 62-yard drive for the Saints. They added two field goals in the fourth quarter when Forbath kicked a 37-yarder at the 11:18 mark and a 27-yarder with 10:07 remaining in the game. Houston closed out the game scoring with a 36-yard Novak field goal with 1:55 left in the game.

Savage came off the bench and completed 7-of-12 passes for 75 yards while Brandon Weeks was 4-for-4 and 54 yards. Fuller caught four passes for 73 yards and the touchdown, followed closely by Braxton Miller with three completions for 34 yards.

The Texans will now have eight days to prepare for a Sunday, August 28 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. The game is set for a 3 p.m. CDT kickoff in Houston. The Cardinals are 0-2 in preseason following a 31-10 loss to the Oakland Raiders on August 12 and a 19-3 loss to the San Diego Chargers on August 19.