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David Banks
August 25, 2012
Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints (1-2, 2-1 ATS) looked like a team with suspended
players on defense last week vs. lowly Jacksonville, while the Houston Texans
(2-0, 2-0 ATS) have looked every bit like the possible Super Bowl contenders
that some project them to be. The significance of all that is this third
week of preseason is the week that the starters play the longest, so strengths
and weaknesses will be brought to light. The two teams get together down on
The Bayou Saturday night at 8:00 ET from the Superdome in New Orleans, LA in
a game televised nationally on CBS.
The Saints will be short-handed all year with linebacker Jonathan Vilma
suspended for the whole season, and New Orleans will also be without its best
pass rusher Will Smith until Week 5 of the regular season. Both suspensions
were handed down in the wake of the Bountygate scandal that also resulted in
Head Coach Sean Payton being suspended for the year. The Saints performed
admirably on the defensive end in their first two games, but keep in mind that
their first two opponen6s, the Arizona Cardinals and the New England
Patriots, each played their starters for just a couple of possessions. The Saints
were exposed defensively last week though vs. the normally putrid Jaguars'
offense in a 27-24 loss, as perhaps one of the worst starters in the NFL in
Blaine Gabbert completed 13 of 16 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns,
and the Jaguars also added a whopping 170 rushing yards. Moreover, remember
that Maurice Jones-Drew is still holding out, and it was Rashad Jennings
leading the way with 62 rushing yards in 11 carries (5.6 YPC). The Saints should
have no worries on the offensive end and they did accumulate 416 yards vs.
the Jags, but they will not have things as easy as usual vs. the first string
Houston defense for nearly three quarters.
The best news about the Texans' 20-9 beatdown of the 49ers last week was
that Andre Johnson saw his first game action since aggravating a groin in one
of the first days of training camp, and he seemed fully healthy on a 43-yard
reception. With Johnson and quarterback Matt Schaub both now healthy after
injury plagued 2011 campaigns, it gives Houston amazing balance as it now
has a very good passing offense to go with the best running game in football
led by Arian Foster and Ben Tate. And don't forget about the defense, which
improved by leaps and bounds after hiring Wade Phillips as the defensive
coordinator last year and that has continued to impress this season, as the
Texans suffocated one of the best offenses in the NFL on the road in Carolina
26-13 before last week's second stellar defensive showing. Yes, Houston lost
sack specialist Mario Williams to Buffalo in free agency, but you must
remember he was lost for the season fairly early last year and there was no
noticeable drop-off in the Houston defense, and that has continued this preseason.
Houston's Coach Gary Kubiak is now 15-11 during preseason with the two wins
this year, although he is just 3-3 in Week 3 dress rehearsals. Then again,
he may now be coaching the best team in Texans franchise history.
Pick: OVER 44
August 25, 2012
Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints (1-2, 2-1 ATS) looked like a team with suspended
players on defense last week vs. lowly Jacksonville, while the Houston Texans
(2-0, 2-0 ATS) have looked every bit like the possible Super Bowl contenders
that some project them to be. The significance of all that is this third
week of preseason is the week that the starters play the longest, so strengths
and weaknesses will be brought to light. The two teams get together down on
The Bayou Saturday night at 8:00 ET from the Superdome in New Orleans, LA in
a game televised nationally on CBS.
The Saints will be short-handed all year with linebacker Jonathan Vilma
suspended for the whole season, and New Orleans will also be without its best
pass rusher Will Smith until Week 5 of the regular season. Both suspensions
were handed down in the wake of the Bountygate scandal that also resulted in
Head Coach Sean Payton being suspended for the year. The Saints performed
admirably on the defensive end in their first two games, but keep in mind that
their first two opponen6s, the Arizona Cardinals and the New England
Patriots, each played their starters for just a couple of possessions. The Saints
were exposed defensively last week though vs. the normally putrid Jaguars'
offense in a 27-24 loss, as perhaps one of the worst starters in the NFL in
Blaine Gabbert completed 13 of 16 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns,
and the Jaguars also added a whopping 170 rushing yards. Moreover, remember
that Maurice Jones-Drew is still holding out, and it was Rashad Jennings
leading the way with 62 rushing yards in 11 carries (5.6 YPC). The Saints should
have no worries on the offensive end and they did accumulate 416 yards vs.
the Jags, but they will not have things as easy as usual vs. the first string
Houston defense for nearly three quarters.
The best news about the Texans' 20-9 beatdown of the 49ers last week was
that Andre Johnson saw his first game action since aggravating a groin in one
of the first days of training camp, and he seemed fully healthy on a 43-yard
reception. With Johnson and quarterback Matt Schaub both now healthy after
injury plagued 2011 campaigns, it gives Houston amazing balance as it now
has a very good passing offense to go with the best running game in football
led by Arian Foster and Ben Tate. And don't forget about the defense, which
improved by leaps and bounds after hiring Wade Phillips as the defensive
coordinator last year and that has continued to impress this season, as the
Texans suffocated one of the best offenses in the NFL on the road in Carolina
26-13 before last week's second stellar defensive showing. Yes, Houston lost
sack specialist Mario Williams to Buffalo in free agency, but you must
remember he was lost for the season fairly early last year and there was no
noticeable drop-off in the Houston defense, and that has continued this preseason.
Houston's Coach Gary Kubiak is now 15-11 during preseason with the two wins
this year, although he is just 3-3 in Week 3 dress rehearsals. Then again,
he may now be coaching the best team in Texans franchise history.
Pick: OVER 44
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