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The 2023 NFL preseason is officially in the books, with Sunday's matchup between the Saints and Texans serving as the final exhibition action before the regular-season kickoff on Sept. 7. Starters were limited in the prime-time affair, but it was a worthwhile sendoff -- or send-in, you might say -- for young players like C.J. Stroud and Dameon Pierce, who propelled a 17-13 Texans win.
Houston entered Sunday's contest as the only NFL team who hadn't declared an official Week 1 starting quarterback (aside from the Cardinals, who haven't announced injured QB1 Kyler Murray's fill-in yet) -- but that changed immediately following the game, when head coach DeMeco Ryans announced that Stroud would be their Week 1 starter. More than that, the first-round pick fully looked the part. While his numbers were paltry (2-4, 16 yards, 1 TD), they don't tell the whole story. The Ohio State product could've easily finished 4 for 4, as arguably his two best passes -- a deep sideline loft to Nico Collins, and an on-the-move dart to Robert Woods -- were dropped.
Suffice to say, Stroud earned the right to enter 2023 as the Texans' QB1. Not only that, but he'll have a powerhouse by his side, with Pierce picking up where he left off from a promising rookie campaign. The second-year Florida product, who missed the close of 2022 due to injury, sought out contact as a bruising but efficient weapon on Houston's first two drives, gaining 30 yards on five carries to set up the game's first touchdown drive. Ryans has hinted Pierce can be a workhorse, and it looked true Sunday.
On the Saints' side of things, veteran Jameis Winston got the nod at QB in place of a resting Derek Carr. True to character, the former first-rounder had no issue firing the ball into tight windows, but he stayed out of trouble mostly thanks to the reemergence of tight end Jimmy Graham, who at 36 just rejoined the team in late July. Graham looked much like his old self against the Texans, going up for three catches, 34 yards and a score -- and likely sealing his spot on the team for the regular season.
Fourth-round rookie Jake Haener also got extensive work at QB for New Orleans. The Fresno State prospect showcased his scrambling ability with a 26-yard sprint and some first-down completions on the run. He was more uneven through the air, however, tossing a late interception to Texans safety Grayland Arnold while attacking triple coverage in the end zone. Haener's target on the game-sealing pick: second-year tight end Lucas Krull, who led the Saints with more than 100 receiving yards in a bid to stick alongside Graham behind Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau.
Now primed for the regular season, the Saints and Texans will first have to trim their 90-man offseason rosters to 53 players by Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.
