The Saints had their chances, but they couldn’t overcome going 0-for-3 in the red zone. The Texans, who were only 2-for-4 in the red zone, held on for a 20-13 victory over New Orleans.
Both teams now are 3-3.
Houston, which finished 3-13-1 last season, lost to the Falcons last week after Desmond Ridder topped Stroud’s two-minute drive with one of his own for a last-play, game-winning field goal. The Texans finished it this week.
The Saints stalled at the Houston 11 with 11:10 remaining, but rookie kicker Blake Grupe missed a chip-shot, 29-yard field goal wide left. They got as close as the Houston 14 with less than five minutes remaining before Alvin Kamara lost a yard and then gained only 2 yards on fourth-and-four from the Houston 15.
New Orleans reached the Houston 24 with 35 seconds remaining, but Derek Carr threw four incompletions from there.
The Saints gained 430 yards but scored only one touchdown and got field goals of 48 and 45 yards from Grupe. Carr was 32-of-50 for 353 yards and a touchdown, a 34-yard pass to Rashid Shaheed.
The Texans led 17-7 at halftime, settling for a 24-yard Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal after stalling at the Saints 5 between touchdown passes from C.J. Stroud to Dalton Schultz and Robert Woods. They had four punts and a red zone field goal from Fairbairn in the second half before getting in victory formation.
Stroud went 13-of-27 for 199 yards with two touchdowns and his first career interception. Devin Singletary rushed for 58 yards on 12 carries.
Zack Baun fumbled the ball on the interception return. Nico Collins forced the fumble and Tytus Howard recovered for Houston, and six plays later, Stroud found Schultz for a 1-yard touchdown. It was that kind of day for the Saints.
What could go wrong usually did.
