The Texans won their fourth consecutive game on Sunday, defeating the New Orleans Saints 24-6 in front of 71,778 fans at NRG Stadium.
Brian Hoyer's return to the lineup was a ceremonious one, as he suited up for his first start after suffering a concussion on Nov. 16 at Cincinnati. Hoyer was 21-of-27 for 205 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a 107.6 passer rating. Hoyer's perfect first quarter included completing 9-of-9 passes and throwing a touchdown pass on both drives to give Houston an early 14-0 lead.
The Texans run game put up 167 yards with Alfred Blue leading the way. Blue had 16 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown. Jonathan Grimes, Chris Polk, rookie Akeem Hunt, and Shorts each added to the Texans total on the ground.
Houston's defense kept Drew Brees and the Saints offense without a touchdown in the win. New Orleans had its only scores come from two field goals, one a 57-yarder, in the second quarter. Brees was 25-of-44 yards, one interception, and a 61.6 passer rating on the day. J.J. Watt had two sacks and reached a league-high 13.5 for the year.
Hoyer's first touchdown came on a 10-yard pass to tight end Ryan Griffin to cap off an 11-play, 70-yard drive. The Texans offense didn't slow down, adding a three-yard touchdown catch by Cecil Shorts III on their next possession.
A touchdown early in the third quarter extended the Texans lead. Penalties on the Saints and a 37-yard catch by Griffin moved the ball into red zone territory. For the second week in a row, Blue found the endzone following an eight-yard score.
Nick Novak added a 34-yard field goal on the very next drive as the Texans took a 24-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Kareem Jackson also returned for his first start after missing four games with an ankle injury. Jackson intercepted Brees early in the fourth quarter and returned it 50 yards to mid-field. Jackson's pick occurred at the Houston goal-line, as the Saints were looking to score their first touchdown of the day.
With the win, the Texans improve to 6-5 on the year and head to Buffalo to face the Bills next Sunday.
Check out some of the best action shots from Sunday's game against the Saints.
