Houston
Texans
1-1
20
FINAL
28
New Orleans
Saints
1-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 3 matchup, the New Orleans Saints outlasted the Houston Texans with a final score of 28-20, improving their record to 2-1 while the Texans fall to 1-2. Both teams were looking to establish momentum early in the season, but it was the Saints who capitalized on their opportunities.
Rodney Orlando had a standout performance for New Orleans, throwing for 311 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his accuracy and poise under pressure. Meanwhile, Jalen Fisher complemented the passing game with a powerful ground attack, rushing for 110 yards, while Jordyn Tyson was a reliable target, racking up 106 receiving yards. Together, they formed a potent offensive trio that kept the Texans' defense on its heels.
Defensively, the Texans struggled to contain the Saints' offensive firepower, but Dee Winters was a bright spot, leading the team with 10 total tackles. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when the Saints' defense tightened up, forcing the Texans to turn the ball over on downs, effectively sealing the game. New Orleans’ ability to make critical stops when it mattered most was key to their victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rodney Orlando | QB | 34 | 23 | 68% | 311 | 2 | 1 | 103.9 |
| Jordan McCoy | QB | 22 | 10 | 45% | 150 | 0 | 0 | 68.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Fisher | HB | 20 | 110 | 5.5 | 44 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Kewan Lacy | HB | 20 | 47 | 2.4 | 11 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Tremaine Darden | HB | 10 | 25 | 2.5 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| Peyton Lewis | HB | 4 | 18 | 4.5 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Rodney Orlando | QB | 5 | 13 | 2.6 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Jordan McCoy | QB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Earl Groves | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Winston Watkins Jr. | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Theo Smith | HB | 3 | -2 | -0.7 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 7 | 106 | 15.1 | 29 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Winston Watkins Jr. | WR | 2 | 99 | 49.5 | 86 | 1 | 88 | 0 |
| Kaelan Chudzinski | TE | 7 | 67 | 9.6 | 25 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Jayden Reed | WR | 4 | 56 | 14.0 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Nick Marsh | WR | 3 | 56 | 18.7 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 1 |
| Terrance Ferguson | TE | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Tremaine Darden | HB | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 12 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | — | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Benjamin Brahmer | TE | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Nolan Coffey | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Gabe Fisher | FB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Jalen Fisher | HB | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dee Winters | WILL | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Edgerrin Cooper | SAM | 8 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Trey White | LEDG | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Bolton | MIKE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jakobe Thomas | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Scott | CB | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Travis Hunter | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ellis Robinson IV | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| K'Vaughan Smith | DT | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayden McDonald | DT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keionte Scott | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taylor Jackson-Pierre | REDG | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Micah McFadden | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Heldt | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jared Smith | REDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dijon Lee Jr. | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamari Ramsey | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tommy Tomlinson | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julius Wilson | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Golday | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ben Martino | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Page | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Reese | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lesterlaisene Lagafuaina | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tommy Togiai | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kiko Mauigoa | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taylor Wein | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Judge Collier | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kai Kroeger | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Towns McGough | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Emanuel Santiago | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 53 |

