Official Texans @ Saints Fake Game Thread, 08/26/2017
 

While the weather channel is forecasting catastrophe, the Texans are in New Orleans to take on the Saints Saturday night. Should be one of the more interesting of the preseason games as this is the "dress rehearsal" game for opening day - at least the first half should be...

Will Savage stay solid? Will Watson have a better showing? The Texans will have the final preseason game on Thursday and then the turk strikes hard cutting from ~90 to 53. Last chances for some of the bubble candidates to show what they got....

Hope everyone is still safe and dry along the coast. And hopefully satellite and cable is still functioning tonight. I'm actually at the Falcons game tonight as they open their new stadium, so for those able to see the game, thanks in advance from those who cannot.

Back and forth. Saints score first with a FG.

Saints 3, Texans 0

4:20 left in the 1st qtr.

Spencer Tillman is the worst. I swear he tries his hardest to fit as many words as possible in.

In general the biggest advantage TV football has over other TV sports is no local homer announcers. But preseason football combines local homers with part time quality. It's brutal.

It astounds me that you guys don't listen exclusively to the radio broadcast. Spencer Tillman is excruciating and the network guys spend so much time talking about bullshit that sometimes I forget there's a game going on.

The radio guys talk about the game and they talk about the Texans. It's indispensable as fas as I'm concerned.

And speaking of concern, this offense is terrible.

I probably should, but honestly during the regular season the network guys are neutral and boring. They are just drab enough I don't care to find and setup the radio. But preseason is something else entirely.

And yes, our offense is brutal. If Tom Savage plays QB we may complete 75% of our passes while scoring single digits per game. He makes Matt Leinhart look like a downfield gunslinger.

The very best running play with Watson the backside DE doesn't close down the line and instead gets depth to account for the QB. And Ervin immediately has our best run of the night. All the running plays become 10 on 10 instead of 10 on 11 as soon as he's on the field.

It's too bad that a mobile quarterback makes so much difference to the Texans offense because they typically don't last very long in the league. But it is undeniable that Watson makes a night and day difference. And I've always liked Savage. And I didn't like the Watson pick. But it's undeniable.

You can listen to the radio broadcast over the internet on your laptop, tablet, phone, whatever.

Oh, and I was thinking he makes David Carr look like Brett Favre.

3-0 and my satellite connection hold up all the way to halftime.

Saints 3, Texans 0

I like Savage, but with Savage we play a style that requires 5+ first downs to score a TD. So we need 10 plays with multiple 3rd down conversions, and one bad play puts us behind schedule and we are punting. I still think we're good enough on defense for that style to win a bunch of 12-7 games. But to short pass your way down the field you have to be Tom Brady on 3rd down. Savage is not Tom Brady. It might help if we had some YAC guys like New England, but we don't. So our short passes go for short gains.

With Watson we may not win more games. We may win less. The ball he threw up for grabs in the first half today was Bortlesian. With this defense I might simply try not to turn it over and win half my games with Savage. But the season goes nowhere in January under that model. It probably goes nowhere in January with either QB, so who knows.

Either way I hope Savage starts the season and I hope he holds off Watson for at least half a season, since 8 games is a lot easier to stay healthy for a running QB.

And yes, if our OL was better and we had some guys who could do something after the catch, I'd have no problem with a season of Savage.

Saints drive down the field and run it in from 3 yards. And I'm fixin' to get hit by a big line of red (radar).

Saints 10, Texans 0

3:02 left in the 3rd qtr.

Saints tack on a 48-yard FG.

Saints 13, Texans 0

3:52 left in the game.

Texans get shut out by the mighty Saints defense. Final score:

Saints 13, Texans 0

Welp, I guess the good news is I had to leave at halftime (my futbol team had a game at 9 - we won, 2-1, meaning we outscored the Texans) and I was going to come home and watch the second half, but the good news is I don't have to.

Big deal, the Chuckster is getting the game on Houston radio all the way down there in Puerto Rico.
Now that's amazing radio transmission/reception, but then the Chuckster is an amazing guy, atleast that's what I've been told from people who know him.

So, the "dress rehearsal" game didn't go well but the defense wasn't bad. I mean, if it were 17-13 with a more normal NFL offense, people would be raving about how solid the D was.

The OL is going to need work and without Hop and most of our top receivers, the WR corps looks spotty at best.

Not giving up on the season yet.

Yeah, it was 3-0 at the half before the backups truly took over. Several Texan first teamers were missing....

They need to get DHop's contract done yesterday....

Watson obviously needs more time but I'm still encouraged from a talent perspective..

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I've got a misplaced family of black-bellied whistling ducks in my back yard. Two parents and about 10 chicks. We're talking just a few days old. They're seeking refuge on a high spot on the lake in my back yard. Think I'll try to throw some food their way in a little bit....

I tell ya whut, nunu, them durn hurrcin winds musta been a blowin the signul a fur piece, shorely it wus. Why, I cut on the wireless n I got them 610 boys talkin like they's on the divan right b'sides me, clear's the Baptist church bell in yon Buford Holler!