Official Texans @ Saints Game Thread, 9/25/2011

[Keith]

This is the place for all the game action conversation as the Texans travel to New Orleans in an effort to prove how different their 2011 season will be from the past.

[WMH]

Going with 2 RB's this week....hope they hold up.
Glad to see Vilma and Porter are out. Should be a great, explosive game.
Interesting they deactivated the 3rd QB, as well as Anderson.

From the Chronic:

Running back Arian Foster will not play against the Saints. He was made inactive. Ben Tate will start, and Steve Slaton will back him up.

Other inactives are cornerback Sherrick McManis, offensive tackle Andrew Gardner, quarterback T.J. Yates, receiver David Anderson, running back Derrick Ward and guard Thomas Austin.

Among the inactives for the Saints are three starters: receiver Marques Colston, cornerback Tracy Porter and middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma.

[Arky]

Texans win the toss and will receive.

Manning only gets back to the 13 yard line on the kickoff.

[Arky]

Flag presnap. D Brown offsides -5. 1st and 15.

Schaub bootlegs and can't find a receiver, throws it away. 2nd and 15 coming up.

Tate for about 1. Makes it 3rd and 14 coming up.

Pass to AJ gets about 14 and the 1st down.

Deep pass down the left sideline to AJ goes all the way to the Saints 46.

Pass to OD over the middle good for 12.

Slaton sweeps right for about 5. 2nd and 5 coming up at the Saints 26.

Flags presnap - game clock needs resetting - no foul.

Tate powers to the Saints 15 yard line, 1st down.

Tate goes left for about 1.

Pass over the middle to OD good for the TD!

Texans 7, Saints 0

10:13 left in the 1st quarter.

[Big Texas]

I am so excited that we did not just play into what the expected us to do thus far. Keep it up Kube.

[Big Texas]

Thats what I'm talking about Kube...Keep it up...

[WMH]

That was freaking impressive....

[Arky]

Hartmann's kickoff goes out of the endzone so Saints ball at their 20.

Brees stumbles after taking the snap and goes down -3. 2nd and 13 coming up.

Thomas for about 2. 3rd and 11 coming up.

Pass to Moore good for about 14 and a 1st down.

Pass to Graham over the middle goes inc. 2nd and 10 coming up.

Thomas gets about 9 up the gut. 3rd and 1 coming up.

Flags presnap. False start Saints -5. Makes it 3rd and 6.

Pass to Graham goes inc. Saints have to punt.

JJ fields the punt and gets nailed right away at the Texan 13.

[WMH]

Thor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Arky]

Ball at the Texans 14.

Tate for about 2. 2nd and 8 coming up.

Schaub's pass to OD comes up short, inc. 3rd and 8 coming up.

Pass to Casey beats the blitz for a huge gainer. Casey all the way to the Saints 22.

Tate for about 11. Ball is at the Saints 11.

Tate for 3 or 4.

Pass to OD in the endzone goes inc. 3rd and 6 coming up.

Pass to AJ only gets about 3 so Texans have to go for the FG.

Rackers 25-yarder is good.

Texans 10, Saints 0

3:17 left in the 1st quarter.

[Arky]

Hartmann's kickoff goes out of the endzone so Saints ball at their 20.

Pass to Henderson gets about 7 along the sideline. 2nd and 3 coming up.

Ingram for about 1. 3rd and 3 coming up.

Pass to Sproles, too low/dropped inc but flag on the play. Facemask on Saints is declined, Saints have to punt.

Punt goes out of bounds at the Texans 27 yard line.

[Arky]

Schaub can't find a receiver and loses about 3 on the scramble. 2nd and 13 coming up.

Johnson gets about 8 on the end around. 3rd and 5 coming up at the Texan 32. Saint is injured on the play. Injury timeout.

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Pass to AJ gets about 5, refs call in the chains. 1st down.

Slaton for maybe 1. 2nd and 9 coming up.

End of 1st quarter.

[Arky]

Pass to AJ gets about 14. Flag on the play. Illegal use of the hands against Myers brings it back. Makes it 2nd and 19.

Tate for about 5. Makes it 3rd and 14.

Dump to Casey only gets about 8 so the Texans have to punt.

Sproles brings the punt all the way back to the Saints 48 but flag on the play. Block in the back on Saints places the ball at the Saints 14.

[Arky]

Dump to Thomas gets about 7. 2nd and 3 coming up for the Saints.

Ingram runs left for big gain. Ball at the Saints 38.

Pass to Meachem good into Texan territory at the 49.

Ingram TFL by Cush -1.

Shovel pass to Thomas gets 13 and a 1st down.

Thomas wrapped up by Cody for only a gain of 1.

Sproles goes right for 6. Makes it 3rd and 3.

Sproles takes it to the house on a pitch right, 30 yards.

Texans 10, Saints 7

8:23 left in the half.

[Arky]

Saints kickoff goes out of the endzone so Texans ball at their 20.

Pass to AJ goes for huge gainer! Ball at the Saints 32.

Pass to OD goes all the way to the Saints 9! 1st and goal at the 9!

Dump to JJ goes nowhere. 2nd and goal at the 9.

Schaub pass to OD comes up short. 3rd and goal.

Timeout Texans.

Gotta have 7 here, fellas.....

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Owch, quick pass off the mark to AJ. Texans have to go for the FG.

Texans 13, Saints 7

6:20 left in the half.

[Arky]

Sproles brings Hartmann's kickoff back to the Saints 28.

Whoop! JJo picks Brees! Texans ball at the Saints 34!

[Arky]

Tate for about 2. 2nd and 8 coming up.

Tate goes left for nice gainer - all the way to the Saints 14.

Tate for no gain.

Tate rumbles to the 8. 3rd and 4 coming up.

Timeout Saints, 4:00 left in the half.

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Dump pass to OD comes up short. Texans will go for the FG.

Rackers 27-yarder is good.

Texans 16, Saints 7

3:53 left in the half.

[Big Texas]

Well, well, well...JJo has more picks this year than Asomugha.

[Big Texas]

While our zone blocking scheme is very effective between the 20's, the lack of size on our Oline causes major issues in the redzone...We need to get some 7s on the board. We should be up 28-7 right now.

Look for Brees to bring out the guns, for this last two minutes.

[Arky]

Sproles brings the kickoff back to the Saints 21.

Pass to Meachem good for 10, 1st down.

Pass to Meachem sails inc. 2nd and 10 coming up.

Pass to Henderson big gainer, goes all the way to the Texan 25.

Ingram for 3. 2nd and 7 coming up.

2 minute warning.