Texans Daily

C.J. Stroud, Defense Lead Houston Texans to Tight Win Over New Orleans Saints

The Houston Texans are back to .500 after taking down the New Orleans Saints at NRG Stadium on Sunday.

Matt Galatzan

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HOUSTON - The Houston Texans entered Sunday's matchup vs. the New Orleans Saints looking to get back to .500 and equal their 2022 win total in one afternoon. 

And that is exactly what they did, taking down New Orleans 20-13 behind another solid day from C.J. Stroud, as well as an opportunistic defensive effort against Derek Carr.

Things got started early for Houston, with Stroud leading the team down the field for a touchdown on the second offensive possession of the game, giving his team a 7-0 lead. 

The Saints then evened the score with a touchdown of their own, followed by a Texans Field goal, to make the score 10-7 Houston. 

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce (31) and quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) reacts during the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at NRG Stadium.
Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce (31) and quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) reacts during the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at NRG Stadium / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

After that, Stroud led his second touchdown drive of the game, hitting Robert Woods for a six-yard score, putting Houston up 17-7 with what was ultimately the game's deciding score. 

From there, the Texans' defense was able to stifle the Saints, holding them to just two more field goals on the afternoon.

The Houston defense was far from perfect allowing 430 yards to New Orleans, including 341 through the air to Derek Carr. 

That said, they were able to step up when it mattered most, particularly on the last drive, intercepting Carr on the Saints' final drive of the game, with just 15 seconds to go on the clock. 

Meanwhile, Stroud also had far from his best game under center, completing 13 of 27 passes for 197 yards with the scores and his first interception of the season.

Ultimately, however, it was enough, with the Texans sealing the victory, and moving back to .500.

Following the win, the Texans (3-3) will now head into their bye week, looking to get completely healthy and prepare for a pivotal Week 8 matchup vs. the Carolina Panthers.

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com