With the first-string offense on the field for just the first series, the New Orleans Saints lost 27-13 to the Houston Texans on Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to drop to 0-3 in the preseason.
The Saints will end the preseason Thursday night at the Green Bay Packers.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees was 4 of 6 for 40 yards and led the Saints to a Zach Hocker! 28-yard field goal in his only drive. Hocker added a 53-yard field goal at the end of the half.
The Saints scored their lone touchdown on a nifty 45-yard run by reserve running back Edwin Baker in the third quarter that was well-blocked by the Saints, especially left tackle Bryce Harris.
The Texans (2-1) took a 13-6 lead at halftime thanks to a 1-yard Alfred Blue touchdown run, two Randy Bullock field goals, one from 49 yards and the other a 29-yarder.
The Texans added two second-half touchdowns, a 6-yard pass from Ryan Mallett to Chandler Worthy and a 6-yard Mallett pass to Jaelen Strong.
Luke McCown replaced Brees after the opening series and was 8 of 14 for 117 yards. He lost a fumble when he was sacked. Rookie Garrett Grayson came on and replaced McCown and was 7 of 16 for 96 yards.
Receiver Willie Snead led the Saints with four receptions for 56 yards and rookie Marcus Murphy caught three passes for 67 yards. Brandon Coleman had his first reception of the preseason for 27 yards. Baker was the team's leading rushing with two carries for 49 yards while Tim Hightower added 24 yards on six carries. Ryan Griffin played the last series and had a pass intercepted.
The Saints' defense registered their first sack of the preseason, split between Tyeler Davison and Tavaris Barnes. Penalties were a problem for the Saints again as they had 11 for 148 yards. The Saints also lost the turnover battle 2-0 and were just 3 of 11 on third down.
Official team photos of the Saintsations at the New Orleans Saints vs Houston Texans game on Sunday, August 30, 2015. Photos by Michael C. Hebert and Matthew Sharpe. New Orleans Saints photos.
