Photo by New Orleans Saints/Facebook
The Saints got more of a game than what they are used to in prime time at home in a stunning 30-28 win over the Texans. This game encompassed a lot of what football fans love about the game: defensive plays, hard runs, great pass plays, lots of offense, and a game winning play as time expired! Here's how I saw it play out:
The Good
-Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson held his own against Saints quarterback Drew Brees. It was very exciting to watch one of the game's up and coming stars face off against a future Hall of Famer at the game's premier position. Watson totaled 274 total yards and four touchdowns to Brees' 362 yards and two touchdowns. Contrasts of styles make fights and this was a classic!
-For as much potential as both teams have for creating turnovers with pass rushers like the Texans' JJ Watt and Saints' Cam Jordan, the two teams combined for only two turnovers. They also combined for 924 total yards of offense and 58 points scored. Both offenses and defenses came to play and the better team ultimately won.
-Saints kicker Will Lutz won the game on a 58-yard field goal as time expired. He recently signed a 5 year/$20.25million dollar extension this offseason and earned every penny with his game winner. Lutz has been the offense's saving grace on several drives since coming to the team as an undrafted free agent the Saints picked up less than a week after the Ravens cut him in the 2016 offseason.
The Bad
-Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil's first true test came on 3rd&15 in the 1st quarter. Saints defensive end Cam Jordan beat him, Senio Kelmete, and Nick Martin on an inside move. Chemistry is big on the offensive line and they don't have it yet.
-Bill O'Brien called a timeout, then challenged the spot and lost on a 3rd & 9 play that made it 4th & 1. Not only did he lose a challenge, but consequently lost two first half timeouts. Deshaun Watson was able to convert the 4th & 1 and scored. Had O'Brien simply called that play, he could've saved the timeouts and challenge.
-328 of the 924 combined yards gained came on the ground. The Saints were missing their top three defensive tackles for various reasons, and the Texans traded their top run stuffer for some ramen noodles, malt liquor, and loose cigarettes. Needless to say, both run games had a field day.
The Ugly
-I try not to use the word "hate" much, but I HATE ESPN's yellow down graphic on the lower third! It changes after every down to show the down and distance. Always a great idea, but it makes you think there's a penalty coming. Poor choice by someone who makes big money to make these decisions.
-Watson went to the Texans' medical tent for a good amount of time after his touchdown run because he took a hit to one of his legs as he went airborne for the score. He also got sacked several times this game. He's too important to take unnecessary risks and to not be given better pocket protection.
-What kind of clock running fiasco did the refs pull on the Saints at the end of the first half? It cost them about 10-15 seconds and a chance to score before the half. The Texans' defense did a tremendous job keeping this high-powered offense in check as much as they could. The ESPN referee analyst (or whatever they're called these days) agreed that the call was wrong and they should've had more time on the clock given that they didn't challenge the ruling on the field. Helluva job by the Texans defense to hold this offense to "only" 30 points.
WOW! I thought the LSU/UT game was the game of the weekend when it came to football. However, the pro teams from the same respective states provided an even more exciting game and ending. As a life-long fan of one team, and a professional interest in the other, I have a unique perspective on both teams. I was impresed by both teams. Both teams have a lot to lok forward to this season. I can see both making deep playoff runs. Health will be a factor. But if it isn't, I can easily see both teams in a Super Bowl rematch...provided other outsode factors break their way.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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