TEXANS TAKEAWAYS
Critical takeaways from Houston Texans preseason win over Steelers
Aug 9, 2024, 9:38 pm
CJ Stroud looked good in his 2024 preseason debut. Composite Getty Image.
C.J. Stroud threw a touchdown pass to Tank Dell in his preseason debut to help the Houston Texans beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-12 on Friday night.
Held out of the Hall of Fame game last week against Chicago, Stroud completed 2 of 4 passes for 41 yards.
Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in 2023, threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdown last season, leading the Texans to the AFC South championship and a victory over Cleveland in the wild-card round.
Following a three-and-out, Stroud led the Texans to the touchdown on a three-play series. Stroud threaded a pass to Dell, who dodged a pair of missed tackles for a 34-yard score. Dell had 708 yards receiving before a season-ending leg injury last season. He also was wounded in the offseason in a Florida restaurant shooting.
Justin Fields played three series for Pittsburgh, finishing 5 of 6 for 67 yards. He was sacked twice and fumbled two exchanges.
Pittsburgh moved across midfield twice with Fields under center, but the drives stalled because of a fumbled snap and a sack.
Pittsburgh acquired Fields – the No. 11 overall pick in 2021 – from Chicago for a conditional sixth-round choice in 2025. The Steelers traded Kenny Pickett, the team’s first-round pick in 2022, after signing Russell Wilson to the $1.21 million veteran’s minimum when he was released by Denver in March. Wilson didn’t play Friday because of a lingering calf injury.
Quarterback Kyle Allen drove Pittsburgh inside the 5 in the second quarter, but the Steelers came up empty on four tries. Allen missed a wide-open Calvin Austin III in the back corner of the end zone on fourth down.
Allen finished 17 of 23 for 193 yards, a late interception and a third-quarter touchdown pass to Connor Heyward.
Houston scored its second touchdown in the second quarter. Pittsburgh’s Quez Watkins muffed a punt and running back Dare Ogunbowale capped the six-play, 30-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run.
UNDER PRESSURE
Houston defensive end Danielle Hunter made an impact on his two series with two tackles, a sack and two quarterback pressures, including one on the first snap of the game.
The Texans signed Hunter to a two-year, $49 million contract after a 16 1/2-sack season with Minnesota. He’s expected to pair on the defensive line with Will Anderson Jr.
Don't miss the video above as the guys from Texans on Tap go live on YouTube and share their thoughts on the Texans' win! We learned a lot about how Diggs and Dell will be deployed.
TRANSACTIONS
The Steelers placed Markus Golden on the reserved/retired list Friday, a little more than a week after signing the backup outside linebacker. Golden, who played nine seasons, spent 2023 with the Steelers, recording four sacks, good for third on the team.
Pittsburgh also restored RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson to the active roster. Patterson, in his 12th NFL season, is a four-time All-Pro returner.
INJURY REPORT
Pittsburgh’s Keeanu Benton left the game with an eye injury.
UP NEXT
Houston: Hosts the New York Giants next Saturday.
Pittsburgh: Hosts Buffalo next Saturday.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.