Saints vs. Texans NFL preseason Week 1: Who is playing for New Orleans-Houston?

The New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans will get their preseasons started on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET from NRG Stadium. Neither team has been too revealing regarding plans for how long their top players are expected to see the field, if at all.

The Texans are 1-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the over/under set at 33.

Quarterbacks

Saints quarterback Jameis Winston left practice earlier this week with a minor foot injury and will be held out, so we may see Andy Dalton in a New Orleans uniform for the first time and second-year pro Ian Book. On the other side, we will not see Texans backup QB Kyle Allen, who tested positive for COVID. Davis Mills will enter the year as the starter after playing in 13 games as a rookie in 2021.

Running Backs

The Saints have one of the most versatile backs with Alvin Kamara, and it would not make a ton of sense to give him much preseason work, and the same goes for Mark Ingram II. The Texans signed Marlon Mack this offseason, and he's listed as the No. 1 running back on the team's official depth chart along with Rex Burkhead. We could see plenty of rookie Dameon Pierce, who was selected in the fourth round this spring.

Wide Receivers

Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is working his way back after a lingering ankle injury forced him to miss the entire 2021 season, so there's a significantly small chance he suits up on Saturday night. New Orleans signed slot receiver Jarvis Landry this offseason, and first-round pick Chris Olave could play in his first NFL game. The Texans have a group of unproven receivers outside of Brandin Cooks, and rookie wideout John Metchie III announced the devastating news he was diagnosed with leukemia. Second-year pro Nico Collins will likely play a big role in how this offense operates.

Tight Ends

The Saints do-it-all man Taysom Hill returned to practice this week with a rib injury and signed Chris Herndon early in camp. Hill and Adam Trautman will make the impact in the tight end room but may no take the field in this matchup. The Texans traded for Miami Dolphins tight end Adam Shaheen this week, but the trade was void after he failed a physical, and their top two options appear to be Pharoah Brown and Brevin Jordan.

  
Read Full Article