Official Texans vs. Broncos Fake Game Thread - 8/22/2015
 

The Texans are hosting the Denver Broncos tonight in a preseason game. Ryan Mallet starts for the Texans and Peyton Manning is expected to see quite a bit of action for the Broncos.

Gametime = 7pm CST, ABC 13 in the Houston area.

Spread = Texans by 1 to 3 pts.

One wag sees the Broncos as coming out on top. So does another. Gary Kubiak is 20-11-2 ATS in preseason games.

Preseason games are for evaluating talent but I think both coaches will tell you getting the W is important, too....

I think the game will be decided in the 2nd half. Can Tom Savage lead the Texans to a victory like he did in the preseason game in Denver last year?

Will be interesting to see if OB handles the QBS like he did last week, just reversed. I'd also like to see Polk get in the mix with the 1's to see what he can do, before he gets hurt.

Coach August! The Fake Season Czar™!

good times...

Honestly though... Savage gives the Texans a good shot at winning this game. Really impressed with his improvement since last season.

1st quarter ends with no score - neither team doing much of anything. Worthy had a dropped punt but recovered, Mumphrey took a chance that worked out OK. Charles James with a couple of good plays on ST's.

James has made a couple of exciting plays. Everyone else looks flat. Very vanilla on both sides of the ball.

Broncos connect on a deep one - Osweiler to Caldwell, 57 yards. Bouye gets toasted.

Broncos 7, Texans 0

7:21 left in the half.

Are the Broncos QBs wearing red jerseys or is there another reason we won't go within 5 feet of them?

Halftime and the score remains:

Broncos 7, Texans 0

Texan offense is looking woeful but the Denver defense has something to do with that. I would really like to see a few more passes in the intermediate and deeper areas.... The dink and dunk stuff ain't going nowhere...perhaps OB will let Savage cut it loose in the 2nd half...

There's a nice pass... Savage to Lee for about 20 (?) yards...

Bullock's 32-yarder is good.

Broncos 7, Texans 3

8:37 left in the 3rd quarter.

Kourtnei Brown with the pick 6! 69 yards!

Texans 10, Broncos 7

3:09 left in the 3rd quarter.

Pretty competitive at LB, but would like to see Courtney Brown make team.

Bah, EZ was hit by the defender before the ball got there in the end zone. Broncos takeover at their 2 with a little over 9 minutes left in the game. Score still:

Texans 10, Broncos 7

Broncos takes the lead on a 26-yard pass from Siemian to Louks.

Broncos 14, Texans 10

1:44 left in the game.

Broncos hang on as the Texans run out time. Final Score:

Broncos 14, Texans 10

------------------------------

Man, I dunno, if I was OB, I'd let this QB competition run another week and make a decision immediately after the Saints game..

I think OB has all the data he needs now. The question he should ask himself is "which QB gives my team the best chance to beat the Chiefs?" Keep it that simple.

Some vanilla decision making by both QBs today, and the ineffective run game was not helping. Last season, with Arian Foster, NFL Films cameras caught OB saying "That's the formula! Run, run, run, take a shot!" during the opener. And with Foster paired with a caretaker at QB, that's not a bad formula.

But Foster is out for the Chiefs opener, and I am not sure this formula works with Hoyer running the offense without Foster. Makes me wonder if Mallett is the choice over Hoyer because of the Foster injury. At least I think it should be. But in the end, like in the other thread discussing contrarian strategies, the fear of failure usually wins out. And that line of thinking would put Hoyer under center as the "safer" choice.

This coach clearly prefers safe over risky even if there's potentially a big up side. But I still don't understand why he won't let Mallet or Hoyer between them throw the ball downfield, vertically a single time in the first 2 preseason games.

Belicheat disciple. He's worried about competitive advantage.

Blah, blah blah.

Stats aside, I thought Mallett had better control of the O last night. Hoyer looked timid, but he did have a crappier OL to deal with. I'm still waiting to see Polk behind the 1st team OLine. If we don't see it Sunday, guess I'll have to wait till the KC game.

Not sure I'll watch the replay. It sure sounded like both teams were pretty flat. Perhaps the defensive personnel was just better but I don't think either team was putting their best foot forward.

If our defensive personnel is better than the Broncos Offense without Watt/Joseph/Wilfork than we have a 85 Bears level defense. I think you are probably right about both teams being flat.