Jeff Driskel may have blown the game with his third interception with 4:10 to go, but the Houston Texans defense got the ball back.
With 2:15 left in the preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints Aug. 13 at NRG Stadium, the Texans had a shot to give new coach Lovie Smith his first win ever, even if it was in an exhibition contest.
“We practice two-minute every single day,” Driskel told reporters. “It’s something that we’re super comfortable with. Most games come down to a two-minute situation.”
For Driskel, who finished with 16-of-26 for 165 yards and two touchdowns, the positive play that gave Houston a realistic shot was receiver Chad Beebe’s decision on the Blake Gillikin 35-yard punt.
“Chad Beebe fair caught the ball on the 10-yard line,” said Driskel. “I thought that was an unbelievable decision. You know that ball hits the ground, bounces around a little bit and we’re backed up on the 1- or 2-yard line, it could be a different scenario. So, that was huge.”
The Texans were able to go 90 yards in seven plays, melting 1:50 off the clock as Driskel capped off the drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to receiver Johnny Johnson to give Houston a 17-13 win.
“Obviously, the defense getting the stop to force the punt and then just going out and executing,” Driskel said. “That’s what it’s all about. The players are out there. We’ve just got to go execute, and we did that at a high level on that drive.”
The Texans will get another chance to showcase their consistency in execution when they take on the Los Angeles Rams Aug. 19 at SoFi Stadium.
