There might not have been a more disappointing team in the NFL over the first half than the Texans.
But it appears they’ve corrected course, and are back in line with what people expected of them this season.
The Texans kept the shackles on the Saints offense, pulling away for a 24-6 win.
It’s their fourth straight win, and keeps them atop the AFC South at 6-5.
Brian Hoyer threw for a pair of touchdowns and Alfred Blue ran for 77 yards and a score as the Texans played a methodical game, keeping the pressure on the Saints all day on both sides of the ball. They held the ball for 36:23, it just felt like more than that.
And while you can make jokes about the AFC South (it’s easy, trust us), the Texans are playing well enough to be legitimate playoff contenders regardless of address.
For the Saints, it continued a miserable season, as they’ve now lost three in a row to drop to 4-7 after a brief moment of competence in which they won three straight.
For a team that used to be able to count on a high-powered offense, the Saints managed 268 yards. And while some of that can be attributed to the Texans defense, the Saints clearly have multiple issues.
Quarterback Drew Brees topped the 3,000-yard passing yard mark, but he also failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in what seems like forever. The streak was actually just 45 games, but his failure to get into the end zone sums up a season of frustration.
Firing defensive coordinator Rob Ryan didn’t fix their leaky defense, as they allowed the Texans to move the ball consistently.
With the undefeated Panthers heading to their building next week, the Saints are left to only be a spoiler and play for pride, such that they’re able to do either of those things.