Week 6 Schedule Breakdown: Houston Texans

The New Orleans Saints will face off with the Houston Texans in a week six matchup at NRG Stadium. The Texans have completely revamped their roster and coaching staff this offseason, bringing in former Texans linebacker and former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their new head coach.

Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

The Texans went 3-13 last season with Lovie Smith at the helm. They were on the brink of the first overall pick, but in their final regular season game, Davis Mills connected with Jordan Akins on a 28-yard TD to set up a game-tying PAT attempt... Except, Lovie Smith had different ideas. He knew his time in Houston was coming to an end and went for two to win the game. Mills found Akins yet again to secure the 32-31 win and miss out of the number one overall pick.

The Texans would’ve been in prime position to draft Bryce Young, the consensus top QB in the draft, but instead had to settle for CJ Stroud. There were a lot of concerns about Stroud after rumors swirled that his S2 Cognition Test scores came in low, but don’t underestimate the kid. He’s the most accurate passer out of all of the rookie QBs, and he put on a show in his final collegiate game against Georgia. Stroud could end up being a very good QB in the NFL, and the Saints are lucky to face him so early in his career.

The Texans have quietly put together a solid offense. CJ Stroud will likely start at QB, Dameon Pierce and Devin Singletary highlight the backfield and a WR room of Robert Woods, Nico Collins, Noah Brown and John Metchie is nothing to overlook. Add on Dalton Schultz and one of the best tackles in the league, and this offense could be very scary in the next few seasons.

Ryans is a defensive coach, and he has made sure to prioritize that side of the ball this offseason. They started by adding Jimmie Ward, Sheldon Rankins, Shaquil Griffin, Denzel Perryman, Chase Winovich and others in free agency. Next, they made the biggest move in the draft by moving up to number three after selecting CJ Stroud the pick before to take their highest graded defender, Will Anderson. If Anderson can produce half as much as he produced at Alabama, he’ll be a stud in the NFL.

The Texans will be coming off a week five matchup in Atlanta before traveling home for their game against the Saints. The Saints will be on the back end of a two-game road trip, playing their week five game in New England.

This is a game many people will overlook, but this has trap game written all over it. Rookie QB, first year head coach, second straight game on the road, Sunday before playing the Jaguars on TNF. All of these things could cause the Saints to overlook the Texans, and its Dennis Allen’s job to make sure they stay completely focused on Houston and don’t drop a winnable game early in the season.

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