Preseason game: Texans @ LA Rams, 8/19/2022

[Arky]

It's a Friday night game this time - late start for us at 9 pm CST in Los Angeles.

ABC13 again.

More of the same preseason scrimmage stuff, I suppose. Starters might stay in a little longer....

For some reason the Texans are favored by 3.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Arky

For some reason the Texans are favored by 3.

This is strange. The Texans iirc have done well of late against the spread in preseason, and their reserves showed well enough last week to inspire a little confidence. But the Rams are deep and have done well in preseason against the spread as well. So this is curious. And the spread may be growing... I think it's gone from -2.5 to -3.5 in a few places.

I'm certainly no expert especially on preseason wagering, but somebody knows something more than me on this.

[Keith]

Ok, so the Rams offense is all backups it seems, which would explain the odds. Texans front seven feasting. Four sacks in the first quarter.

Offense has looked clunky to start. Mills stripped but Scharping recovered. Mack has started and done ...ok... (18 yds on first 5 carries), but it would be really nice to see if Pierce can continue what he started last week.

Rams 3... Texans 0 after the first quarter.

[Arky]

Dorsett with a nice catch along the sideline with just 7 seconds left in the half. Refs initially rule no catch but replay showing he had both feet in. Tack on 15 yards for roughing the receiver and the Texans are at the 18 yard line of the Rams.

Jump ball to Nico Collins in the end zone goes for the TD!

Texans 7, Rams 6

Rams had added a FG @ 40 seconds left in the half.

Squib kick on the ensuing kickoff ends the half.

[Keith]

Mills and the offense salvage a weak first half with a TD drive with one second remaining. Nico Collins uses his 37.5" vertical to grab a jump ball in the end zone, giving the Texans the 1-point lead. Collins is going to be a weapon in these situations.

Drive was accentuated by a tough sideline reception by Phillip Dorsett that required a replay review to overturn what was originally ruled incomplete. Dorsett weathered a personal foul on the reception which put the otherwise anemic offense into the red zone for the first time.

Texans 7... Rams 6

Offense missing Brandin Cooks and Laremy Tunsil, and while Marlon Mack was ok, had one good power run in particular, the offense missed some spark without them (and Pierce). Mills was not sharp, a curiously poor half from him.

Offense
Mills 10/17 87 yd 1 TD 0 INT
Mack 8-29-0
Burkhead 2-5-0, 3-0-0, 1 lost fumble
Collins 4-48-1

Defense
Grugier-Hill 4 tkl, 1 TFL
Greenard 1 sack, 1 TFL
Lopez 1 sack, 1 TFL
Harris 1 sack, 1 TFL
Arnold 1 sack, 1 TFL
Kirksey 1 sack, 1 TFL

[Arky]

Kyle Allen started the 2nd half at QB and hits rookie TE Teagan Quitoriano for a 6 yard scoring pass.

Texans extend the lead:

Texans 14, Rams 6

Kyle Allen not looking too shabby.... Who is Kyle Allen?

2 years with Carolina, 2 years with the Washingtons, went to school at U of H. Still young for a QB. Showing some skills.... Carolina made him the starter for a while. Out with "Covid" last week which explains Jeff Driskel's huge amount of playing time. Looks like he can handle the job if necessary.

That concludes today's episode of "Meet the Texans".

[Arky]

WR Chester Rogers of the Texans fumbles a punt deep in Texan territory. Roger Carter of the Rams picks it up and runs it in for the 8 yard TD.

M Gay good on the extra point.

Texans 14, Rams 13

3:11 left in the 3rd qtr.

[Keith]

Assuming at this point that the Texans are keeping Pierce out of this game having already earned the RB1 spot on the depth chart. Absent any reporting, I was initially worried he was being benched for some disciplinary reason. Sarcastic kudos once again to the Houston media being caught totally clueless as to what has been happening with the team they cover daily.

[Arky]

Fairbairn adds a 42 yard FG.

Texans 17, Rams 13

12:46 left in the game.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by Keith

Assuming at this point that the Texans are keeping Pierce out of this game having already earned the RB1 spot on the depth chart. Absent any reporting, I was initially worried he was being benched for some disciplinary reason. Sarcastic kudos once again to the Houston media being caught totally clueless as to what has been happening with the team they cover daily.

You'd think they'd give him (Pierce) a little work. Sure, they are probably looking at the backups right now but a little work wouldn't hurt....

[Arky]

Trey Ragas of the Rams runs it in from 7 yards for the go ahead TD.

Rams 20, Texans 17

5:11 left in the game.

Texans help 'em out with penalties and errors on the long 75 yard drive using up 7:35 of the clock.

[Arky]

Texans get the 1st down on 4th and 1. Ball is at their 42 yard line with 2 minutes left in the game.

[Keith]

Texans have Ross Blacklock out there as if they are hanging a For Sale sign around his neck. Feels like he's about to be turned around for a conditional seventh round pick.

I get protecting key starters out of these fake games, but for a rookie like Pierce, I'd like to see him get game reps at picking up blitzers and doing a little more third down work in general.

[Arky]

Hooo, deep ball from Driskel to Dorsett draws the PI. Texans now set up at the Rams 12 yard line.

--------------------------

Driskel hits TE Mason Schreck in the back on the end zone for the 8 yard TD pass.

Texans back on top:

Texans 24, Rams 20

1:05 left in the game.

[Arky]

Rams come up short and that's the way it ends:

Final score:

Texans 24, Rams 20

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Eh, preseason, what can you say?

Didn't the 0-16 Lions win all their preseason games that same year?

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Up next is the 49'ers at NRG on Thursday night in the final preseason game. This may or may not be viewable unless you have Prime Video - whatever that is. I will have to look into it more.....

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I will be in Las Vegas for week 1 of the NFL. I actually looked into going to a Raiders game at their shiny new stadium but unfortunately, they will be at LA Chargers week 1. Had I looked a little deeper, I could have caught the Texans in Denver (week 2) on the trip home but whatever. Might not have been able to find cheap tickets in Denver.... Eheh, ironic because I've never been to a live Texan's game....

[Arky]

Sean Pendergast: NFL Preseason Week 2: Texans 24, Rams 20 — Four Winners, Four Losers

We know there is a vast community of people out there who are paid solely to watch and analyze football for a living. It seems like a majority of these folks are putting this in ink — they think the Houston Texans will be the worst team in football this season. I'm not here to make a bold prediction that the Texans will "shock the world" or anything, like Davis Mills did last week, but I do think, based on three weeks of practice and two preseason games, that they will be better than many folks think.

Friday night in Los Angeles was, at the very least, a second straight example (following the win over the Saints in preseason Week 1) of the backups showing some balls and some resourcefulness in stealing a last minute win, this time a 24-20 win over the backups and backups' backups for the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.

Now, let's be very clear — there are still some major concerns on this team, in particular Davis Mills and the first team offense. We will get to them. However, let's start with four winners (and we will get to the four losers) from Friday night's game:

tl;dr version:

Winners

4. Nico Collins
3. Jeff Driskel
2. Derek Stingley Jr.
1. Dameon Pierce

Losers

4. Chester Rogers
3. Ross Blacklock
2. Marlon Mack
1. Davis Mills


More at link....