It’s Hoyer For Houston
Brian Hoyer has done a phenomenal job being consistent for the Houston Texans so far this preseason. He had another solid outing against Denver, going 7-of-11 for 52 yards. Although he didn’t lead any scoring drives, one thing has become very apparent in camp and on the sidelines: Hoyer is the better leader. You can see it on the field and on Hard Knocks. With the leadership quality added to his consistency thus far, it’s not a surprise that Head Coach Bill O’Brien has officially named Hoyer the team’s starting quarterback.
The Defense Shut Down Peyton
Peyton Manning had a little more than a quarter of work against the Texans, which would normally be enough time for Manning to lead at least two scoring drives. Well, the Houston defense came to play! They didn’t give up a single point to the Broncos’ offense while Manning was in the game. If the defense can keep this dominating effort up as we get into the regular season, it’s really going to help this team make some moves in the AFC.
Still No Defensive Stars, No Problem
The defense gave up no points to Peyton Manning and the Broncos’ offense, and only gave up 14 points with the reserves in. Oh, it’s worth noting that they gave up zero points to Manning 
without Joseph, Clowney, Watt and Wilfork in the game. This team is proving to have a dominating defense with some serious depth. If this is the performance we’re going to see without the stars in, just think how scary this defense will be when they all come in.
Still A Positive Turnover Margin
Houston has yet to suffer a turnover this preseason. Another clean sheet and mistake-free football is a very encouraging thing to see for Texans fans everywhere. On top of that, they forced a turnover on the defensive side, which led to a 69-yard interception return for a touchdown for Kourtnei Brown. If this Houston offense can stay consistent and limit its mistakes, this defense will thrive and continue to force turnovers to keep this positive turnover margin.
Need to Improve The Red Zone Offense
In the first preseason game, we saw a scenario where the Texans had seven consecutive chances from within the five-yard-line to score and couldn’t do it. In Saturday’s game, the Texans made it to the Red Zone twice, and failed to earn a touchdown from either possession. Getting the ball from 20-to-20 is something any average offense should be able to accomplish. If this offense wants to push itself to the next level, it needs to find a way to convert on these Red Zone opportunities.
Let’s Take This Thing On The Road
Houston’s final two preseason games will be on the road, starting next week against the New Orleans Saints. The matchup against the Saints will provide yet another good test for the Houston defense, especially with Drew Brees coming off of a two-touchdown performance in a limited outing. New Orleans, however, is not known for having the strongest defense in the league, so this provides an opportunity for Hoyer and the offense to really open the throttle and see what they can do.
