Well, the preseason is in the books! The Houston Texans lost their final exhibition game to the Dallas Cowboys 21-14, but the good news is that we are now on to the regular season! But first, let’s take a quick look back at last night;
Texans’ corners Charles James, Kevin Johnson, tackle Chris Clark start against Cowboys – by Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle
"The Texans’ defense and offense took on some unique configurations Thursday night against the Cowboys in the fourth and final preseason game.With the starters being preserved until games that actually count, the Texans made several changes to their starting lineups.That included starting third-stringer Savage at quarterback, Hilliard at running back, and fifth-round pick Keith Mumphery, third-round pick Jaelen Strong and veteran Keshawn Martin at wide receiver.Newcomer left tackle Chris Clark, a swing tackle acquired in a trade from the Denver Broncos in exchange for a 2016 seventh-round draft pick, started at left tackle.“It went pretty well,” Clark said. “I had some good things and bad things. That’s part of football. Sometimes, you just have to show up. It’s just a tough deal. You haven’t been in the fire with your guys. Everything is totally different.”"
Texans fall to Cowboys 21-14 in preseason finale – by Eric SanInocencio of HoustonTexans.com
"Despite a strong defensive effort, the Texans dropped their final game of the preseason, falling to in-state rival Dallas 21-14 on Thursday night at AT&T Stadium. With the defeat, the Texans fall to 2-2 on the preseason. The Cowboys picked up their first win of the preseason, ending the slate with a 1-3 mark.The Texans open the 2015 regular season on September 13, as they will host the Kansas City Chiefs at NRG Stadium.Tom Savage started at quarterback for Houston, finishing the night 18-of-29 for 135 yards. He left midway through the fourth quarter due to an undisclosed injury. The second-year signal caller threw for two touchdowns, a preseason single-game career high. Ryan Mallett came in for the team’s final offensive series.The Texans running game failed to find traction, with the team’s backs combining for 75 yards on 30 carries. Keshawn Martin was the team’s leading receiver, hauling in five passes for 31 yards, including a touchdown."
Tom Savage exits game with injury – by Drew Dougherty of HoustonTexans.com
"Tom Savage was injured during the loss at Arlington on Thursday night.The quarterback left the game with 7:15 remaining, after he was hit on 3rd-and-13.Ryan Mallett played in place of Savage on the team’s final series.Following the defeat, head coach Bill O’Brien said he didn’t know what Savage’s injury was, or the severity of it.“I’m not a doctor, I have no idea,” O’Brien said. “I’ll know better probably at some point tomorrow.”The second-year signal caller completed 18-of-29 passes for 135 yards, tossing two touchdowns and one interception."