Peyton Manning played in his first preseason game of the year on Saturday night but it was the Broncos reserves that added to the drama on Saturday night. (Getty)
Final
Denver Broncos 7-0-0-7 — 14
Houston Texans 0-0-10-0 — 10
That actually got pretty exciting.
After a first quarter that saw goose eggs across the board, the Denver Broncos came back to stage a late-game victory over the Houston Texans in the second week of the 2015 preseason.
Denver’s second, and third and fourth, stringers, added a bit of drama as Corbin Louks hauled in the game-winning touchdown for the Broncos. Meanwhile, second-string quarterback Brock Osweiler went 7-for-16 for 121 yards, including a touchdown pass while Ronnie Hillman rushed for 54 yards on eight carries.
Neither Brian Hoyer or Ryan Mallett, in the midst of a quarterback battle, looked particularly impressive for the Texans under the center. The two combined to go 12-for-18 through the air for 75 total yards and no touchdowns. In fact, the only Houston touchdown came on an interception return.
To check out a full box score for the game, click here.
The Broncos Staged a Late-Game Comeback
Preseason football drama at its finest!
The Denver Broncos took the lead with 1:44 left in regulation as third-string quarterback Trevor Siemian found Corbin Louks for the 26-yard touchdown reception. The drive was perfectly executed down the field, 92 yards on seven plays in exactly two minutes.
Louks signed with the Broncos earlier this month after playing in the FXFL last season.
Kourtnei Brown Returned an Interception for a Texans TD
KOURTNEI BROWN!!!!!!!!!
See Kourtnei run.
The Texans defensive back picked off Denver quarterback Brock Osweiler with 3:15 left in the third quarter and sprinted back 68-yards straight into the end zone to give Houston the lead. The team Twitter was, clearly, pretty psyched.
Denver Led 7 – 0 at Halftime
(Getty)
That headline basically about sums it up. The Broncos scored the game’s lone touchdown in the second quarter and that’s about it as far as highlights go in the first 30 minutes of play.
Peyton Manning couldn’t get much of anything going with the Broncos in his first preseason game of the year, forced to punt on all four of his drives. By the time Manning left the field he had gone 8-for-14 for 52 yards.
Meanwhile, on the Texans side of things, where there is an actual quarterback battle going on, Ryan Mallett didn’t do much to support his own cause. He finished 5-for-7 for 23 yards. Brian Hoyer, who started last week, finished the half 7-for-11 for 52 yards.
The Broncos Got on the Board in the Second Quarter
Look! Someone made it into the end zone!
Broncos backup quarterback Brock Osweiler found wideout Andre Caldwell for the catch-and-run from 57-yards out to, finally, break the preseason stalemate with 7:21 left in the second quarter.
QB Brock Osweiler continues strong preseason for Broncos w/57-yd TD pass. This preseason, he is 18-of-25 (72%) for 230 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT.
Osweiler looked good in relief for Peyton Manning, going 3-for-5 for 79 yards on his first drive of the night.
Not Much Going in the First Quarter
So, that’s 15 minutes of preseason football.
Peyton Manning got the start under center for the Denver Broncos, making his season debut. He went 6-for-11 for 42 yards in the first quarter. The Broncos rushed for 29 yards on five carries. They did not find the end zone.
Ryan Mallett, fighting for his quarterback life, started for the Houston Texans. He went 5-for-7 for 23 yards on three series. Mallett looked good early but fizzled out a bit as the game progressed. Then, this happened:
Giants were missing 14 players at the start. Now without Herzlich, Currie, Beason. Now 18.9% of their 90-man roster is out.
Honestly, the first 15 minutes of this game were not all that exciting.
Game Preview
It’s a homecoming of sorts for several Broncos coaches who have previously worked with the Texans. (Getty)
There’s a quarterback battle brewing in Texas and, according to Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien, there is no clear winner. At least not yet.
Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett are both neck and neck, fighting for the starting spot under center and Saturday night’s matchup against the Denver Broncos is another chance for each player to prove their worth. “They both have the quality of leadership; they both have the quality of intelligence,” O’Brien said earlier this week. “So, it’s an even battle. And like I said, we’ll make a decision at some point. We’ll go with one guy to start the season. That other guy needs to be ready to play. We played four quarterbacks last year, so you just never know but we can only play one at a time.”
Mallett is expected to start on Saturday night but Hoyer will also get his fair share of snaps after starting in the preseason opener last week. According to reports, if Mallett doesn’t stand out against Denver, he could very well lose his chances at the starting job.
While the Texans battle it out at quarterback, the Broncos get back to basics with Peyton Manning. The veteran quarterback didn’t play last week and will make his debut in Gary Kubiak’s offense. Of course, it’s a bit of a homecoming for Kubiak who was previously head coach in Houston. Overall, eight members of Denver’s coaching staff has previously worked with the Texans.
Kickoff for Saturday night’s preseason tilt is slated for 8 p.m. and will be broadcast locally in Houston on ABC 13 and in Denver on MY 20. Click here for a full TV schedule.
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