Texans @ Saints
Final Score: Texans 17, Saints 13
Writer: Adam Nardelli (@adamnardelli on Twitter)
We’re officially under two weeks away from the start of the NFL regular season, and I think we can all agree it’s nice to leave the preseason in the rearview mirror. Before that, however, the Texans and Saints played one final matchup at the Superdome in New Orleans before the games count for real. While the Saints rested most of their expected starters, a certain 36 year-old tight end named Jimmy Graham re-emerged and reminded us all that 2013 isn’t THAT long ago. Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud played two drives, capping his night with a short touchdown pass to Nico Collins. More on Stroud a little later.
Sometimes information provided by the broadcast during preseason action can have just as much or more importance than what’s actually happening on the field, and that was evident tonight for both teams. Sideline reporter Tom Rinaldi mentioned that head coach Dennis Allen was a major factor in Derek Carr choosing to come to the Saints. Allen was Carr’s head coach briefly during Derek’s rookie year in 2014, and Carr mentioned he hopes he can be the quarterback for Allen that he wished he could have been almost a decade ago. It feels like Carr is rejuvenated in New Orleans, but on average is just being taken as the 21st quarterback in fantasy drafts. If you still prescribe to the wait on quarterback strategy, Carr can be a guy that provides a good floor later in drafts.
Four Up
- Jimmy Graham – Comeback player of the week, coming back from his arrest
- Dameon Pierce – Looked explosive, averaging six yards per carry in his limited workload. Pierce definitely didn’t look like a guy who was just going through the motions in the last preseason game.
- C.J. Stroud – the box score doesn’t tell the whole story of CJ Stroud’s night. It was better than it looked.
- Dalton Schultz – Are Schultz and Stroud best friends?
Two Down
- Juwan Johnson -How can Johnson’s stock drop without playing? Well, if Jimmy Graham really does develop a role as a third down and redzone target, that can steal some valuable targets from Johnson. Also, during the broadcast the Saints tight end room as a whole was discussed. Foster Moreau is likely no major fantasy threat, but he does have a rapport with Derek Carr from their days with the Raiders.
- Kendre Miller – He touched the ball eleven times in the first half, but there wasn’t much to show from it. The Texans were playing their starters for at least some of Miller’s touches, but still it would’ve been nice to see a little more from Miller considering the utilization that he got.
Houston Texans
| Preseason Week 1 | Preseason Week 2 |
Quarterback
C.J. Stroud: 2/4, 16 yards, TD
On the first drive, Stroud dropped a beautiful ball right in the bucket on a deep pass to Nico Collins, but it was knocked away at the last moment. Stroud led a sharp six-play 57 yard drive on their second possession of the game before he sat for the rest of the night.
Davis Mills: 6/11, 53 yards, 3 sacks
Mills throws a nice ball and ran the offense efficiently, but nothing stood out to me that would make him any sort of threat to Stroud starting.
Missed Opportunities
- Missed wide open Steven Sims in the redzone during a drive in the second quarter that probably would’ve resulted in a touchdown.
EJ Perry: 7/11, 58 yards
The moment didn’t look too big for Perry. He looked comfortable in the pocket and delivered some nice balls, none better than a 24 yard pass to Xaiver Hutchinson late in the third quarter.
Missed Opportunities
- Poor Steven Sims. Perry missed him wide open on a wheel route in the third quarter.
Running Back
Dameon Pierce: 5 carries, 30 yards
As. mentioned before, Pierce appeared explosive and was “running with bad intentions”, as the the FOX broadcast noted. Any fantasy manager who already drafted Pierce should feel encouraged.
Mike Boone: 7 carries, 51 yards
Similar to Pierce, Mike Boone ran with a certain level of ferocity that should help solidify his roster spot. He jumped off the screen, with his night highlighted by a spinning 11-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He also made his presence known in the passing game, catching four passes for 26 yards. If something happened to Dameon Pierce, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Texans get Boone much more involved, or even utilize him ahead of Singletary if he continues to play as he did tonight.
Devin Singletary: 7 carries, 22 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Xavier Hutchinson: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 48 yards
Hutchinson was clearly the most impressive Texans’ pass catcher throughout the game. His potential was on display when he made a leaping grab resulting in a 24 yard catch from EJ Perry. It would be irresponsible to not utilize him at least occasionally once the regular season comes around.
Tank Dell: 0 targets | 1 punt return for 26 yards
You might be thinking how did Tank Dell stand out without catching a single pass, but it was the punt return for 26 yards that allowed Dell to flash what he can do. It was easy to see the speed and explosiveness that Dell brings to the table. Get the ball in space to him and see what happens.
Nico Collins: 2 targets, 1 reception, 3 yards, TD
It was nice to see a preseason touchdown throw and catch from Stroud to Collins, which hopefully is a sign of things to come. Collins very well may be the Texans #1 receiver, yet on average he gets taken as the 59th receiver on average in fantasy drafts.
Missed Opportunities
- Stroud dropped a dime to Collins deep down the sideline, but cornerback Alonte Taylor knocked the ball out before Collins could secure it.
Dalton Schultz: 1 target, 1 reception, 13 yards
Another example of important insight during the broadcast. After catching a 13 yard pass from Stroud on third down where Schultz ran a beautiful route before securing the catch, FOX analyst Greg Olsen mentioned a conversation he had with C.J. Stroud. Stroud noted that he has spent the most time with Schultz out of any of his teammates during the offseason and training camp. Clearly Stroud and Schultz already have a good rapport, and it won’t be surprising to see the rookie quarterback looking Schultz’s way often when the games really matter. Schultz currently goes as the TE12 in fantasy drafts, which (as a Schultz owner myself) could quietly prove to be a solid value.
New Orleans Saints
| Preseason Week 1 | Preseason Week 2 |
Quarterback
Jameis Winston: 11/16, 93 yards
Winston started a bit slow, but rebounded nicely with a 25 yard back shoulder throw to Jimmy Graham just before his night ended. He didn’t do anything special, but I think at this point we all know Winston is a quality backup.
Jake Hainer: 17/38, 172 yards, 2 INT, two sacks | 2 carries, 32 yards
No one can say Haener didn’t try to put his best foot forward. Sure he threw two interceptions, but he wasn’t afraid to let it loose at times. Haener displayed some nice ability to throw on the run. At minimum he deserves a look from a team’s practice squad.
Running Back
Kendre Miller: 8 carries, 14 yards | 5 targets, 3 receptions, 10 yards
The fact that the rookie from TCU got 11 touches is encouraging, but not a lot happened with those touches, only compiling 24 total yards. He flashed some explosiveness with his longest run of six yards, but other than that his night was uneventful. The fact that he was so involved could mean the Saints expect to give him a decent role while Alvin Kamara serves his suspension.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Lucas Krull: 15 targets, 7 receptions, 109 yards
In what seems to be a somewhat crowded tight ends room, Krull has to make Dennis Allen at least think a little bit harder about what tight ends make the final 53 after putting up over 100 receiving yards.
Jimmy Graham: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 34 yards, TD
The 13-year veteran, who wasn’t even in the NFL last year, looked like the guy who was once considered a top tier tight end. On the Saints’ fourth drive, Graham made a beautiful 25 yard catch in traffic on a back shoulder throw. It was only right that the drive ended with a 3 yard touchdown pass from Jameis Winston to Graham. As was mentioned during the broadcast, Graham could have a real role in the redzone and on third down as a guy who can make contested catches in close quarters. For a position like tight end that doesn’t exactly have great depth for fantasy, Graham’s impressive night is worth noting despite his age.
Notes
- If you didn’t watch the game. at least go check out Jimmy Graham’s 25 yard catch in the first quarter. It truly looked like vintage Jimmy Graham and at 36, suddenly the age concerns of Travis Kelce approaching 34 maybe don’t seem as alarming.
Oh wow. Jimmy Graham just turned it back to 2013. 😳 pic.twitter.com/1WHNigrem9
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 28, 2023
Jontre Kirklin: 10 targets, 5 receptions, 63 yards
A guy that popped off the screen early in the game. I’m not sure what role he has, or if he has a part on this roster, but Kirklin showed good run after the catch ability, especially on a quick screen that he took for 18 yards.