Texans score late TD to defeat Saints, 17-13

  • August 13, 2022
  • By Ken Trahan
  • Category: Saints
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With many key players not participating, it was an opportunity for many players trying to fit the key to the door of a roster spot competing for the New Orleans Saints on the field Saturday night at NRG Stadium.

Some distinguished themselves, some others were exposed.

There were three turnovers. There were blown coverages. There was miscommunication.

Welcome to preseason football, 2022-style!

Now more than ever, key players do not play in these woeful exhibitions.

Many times, these so-called games are hard to watch. This one certainly was, at times.

**Chase Hansen blitzed on the first play from scrimmage and drilled the ball carrier and on the next play, Paulsen Adebo read a smoke screen and hit Chris Conley for a loss.

**Adebo then made a stop on third down, forcing a three and out.

**Easop Winston handled punt returns.

**James Hurst opened at left tackle and Landon Young started at right tackle.

**Dwayne Washington opened at running back.

**Tre’Quan Smith made a third down conversion catch from Andy Dalton for a first down on the opening series.

**Dalton then hit Marquez Callaway with a perfect throw on a quick slant for 19 yards and a first down.

**Dalton finished the drive with a well-executed nine-yard screen pass to Washington for a touchdown and Wil Lutz knocked through the extra point to make it 7-0 with 7:48 to play in the opening quarter. The drive covered 67 yards in 10 plays, taking 5:22 off the clock.

**On the touchdown play, Erik McCoy and Andrus Peat had good kickout blocks.

**Dalton was 5 of 5 for 51 yards and the score on the drive.

**John Parker Romo handled kickoff duties for New Orleans.

**Carl Granderson forced a holding call on the first play of the second Houston offensive series.

**Ian Book started the second offensive series for the Saints, along with Trevor Penning at left tackle.

**Tremon Smith picked off Book on his first series. It was intended for Juwan Johnson and the pass was thrown poorly, simply too high and deflected off Johnson and into the arms of Smith.

**That set up a Ka’imi Fairbairn 49-yard field goal to cut the New Orleans lead to 7-3 with 1:20 to play in the first quarter.

**Book ran 11 yards for a first down on a quarterback draw on his second series.

**Book them fumbled a snap from Nick Martin and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo recovered at the New Orleans 47-yard line, making it two turnovers by Book in as many possessions.

**Vincent Gray drew an illegal contact penalty which set up Houston with a first and goal at the New Orleans 4-yard line.

**Then, Jeff Driskel of Louisiana Tech hit Jalen Camp on a four-yard touchdown pass over DaMarcus Fields and the Texans had a 10-7 lead with 11:50 to play in the first half.

**Tony Jones handled kickoff returns.

**Vincent Gray then committed another key penalty, this time for unnecessary roughness.

**Hansen then came up with a huge play, intercepting a Driskel pass and returning it 44 yards to the Houston 42-yard line.

**New Orleans got even at 10-10 on a 23-yard field goal by Wil Lutz with 1:52 to play in the third quarter. That completed an eight play, 37-yard drive. Book laid a good ball on Smith in the end zone but Smith could not pull it in on third down.

**Trevor Penning had a very tough first half in the pass blocking department, getting beat three different times.

**Landon Young got beat for a sack late in the half as well.

**Fairbairn missed a 59-yard field goal attempt wide right on the final play of the first half.

**The second half started with a holding call on Penning, whose rough night continued.

**Justin Evans came up with an interception late in the third quarter.

**Parker Romo put the Saints on top 13-10 with a 36-yard field goal with 12:26 to play in the game. Ironically, it was the same drive as the field goal drive of the first half, taking eight plays to go 37 yards.

**Abram Smith had a very good series but he fumbled near the goal line, costing his team points and, potentially, the game.

**Newly signed Brian Allen came up with an outstanding interception but later struggled in coverage.

**Houston then won the game against very poor defensive play and blown coverages, going 90 yards in seven plays with Driskel hitting Jaleel Johnson on a six-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds left in the game.

While Ryan Nielsen handled defensive play calls on this night and will do so in game two, it is still Dennis Allen’s defense and he will make the calls when it matters most.

The huge positives were Dalton, Hansen, Blake Gillikin while Jones was solid. Dai’Jean Dixon of Karr and Nicholls was also good with three catches for 33 yards. Justin Evans and Dwayne Washington distinguished themselves well.

The negatives were Book, Penning, reserve defensive backs blowing coverages.

In defense of Book, the offensive line play around him was largely deficient and he did come back and play better in the second half. Book is clearly better in play-action, rollout situations.

If a new head coach is not as enamored of Book as the previous head coach was, is there a possibility that Book does not make the roster and having Taysom Hill on the roster provides security as a third quarterback?

I liked what I saw of Smith at running back. He runs with good vision and leverage and can catch the ball out of the backfield. The lost fumble marred what was otherwise a solid performance.

Next up is a road game at Green Bay next Friday night.

Do not expect any veteran players who did not play tonight to play in this one, either.

Welcome to preseason football.

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Ken Trahan

CEO/Owner

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Born and raised in the New Orleans area, CCSE CEO Ken Trahan has been a sports media fixture in the community for nearly four decades. Ken started NewOrleans.com/Sports with Bill Hammack and Don Jones in 2008. In 2011, the site became SportsNOLA.com. On August 1, 2017, Ken helped launch CrescentCitySports.com. Having accumulated national awards/recognition (National Sports Media Association, National Football…

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