The 2023 NFL preseason is coming to an end.
The Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints face off in the final game of the preseason on Sunday night. The 30 other teams in the league will have their Week 3 exhibition games completed by Saturday night.
Saints quarterback Derek Carr and some other starters won't play against the Texans, head coach Dennis Allen said on Friday. Carr went 6-of-8 passing for 70 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs in Week 1 of the preseason. Turns out that will be the only playing time Carr gets before the regular season starts. Fans will get one more opportunity to see Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud play before Week 1 of the regular season, however.
Here's a look at Stroud and everything else you need to know heading into this matchup.
TV, Streaming Information for Texans-Saints
The Texans-Saints matchup will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday in the Superdome. The game will air nationally on FOX with Kevin Burkhardt (play-by-play) and Greg Olsen (color analyst) on the call. Tom Rinaldi and Erin Andrews will act as sideline reporters on the broadcast.
Any fans wishing to stream the game can do so on NFL+.
Stroud to Start Again in Preseason Finale
Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has started both of Houston's preseason games so far, and will do so again on Sunday. However, the rookie hasn't officially been named the Week 1 regular season starter by first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans.
That's not something that's concerning Stroud at the moment.
"I ain't tripping," Stroud told reporters Thursday. "Just do what's on my plate. I'm not worried about anybody else's plate. I got to focus on what we got going on in this locker room. And just getting better every day. It's not about any of that stuff. It's about competing every day and just getting better. That's not my job. My job is to go out there and play. I got the fun stuff to do."
Stroud completed two of four passes for 13 yards and an interception in Houston's first preseason game. Last week, Stroud went 7-of-12 for 60 yards. Ryans said Stroud and the rest of Houston's starters will play about two possessions against the Saints.
Saints LB Fighting for Roster Spot
NFL teams will have to trim their rosters down to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on August 29, making the final preseason game crucial for players fighting for their spots.
A Saints player on the edge of the roster is linebacker Jaylon Smith.
The former Pro Bowler was a second-round pick in 2017. Smith played for three teams over his first six seasons in the NFL before signing with the Saints on August 11. Nine days after his signing, Smith tallied three tackles and a pass break-up in his first game with New Orleans.
But playing well on defense may not be enough for Smith to earn a roster spot, Allen said.
"I thought it was a good first exposure out there in a game-like situation," Allen said, via USA Today, after Week 2. "We'll get another chance this weekend to continue the evaluation process. But I like what I've seen over the last week or so from the player. He's smart, he's tough, highly instinctive, there's a lot of things to like."
"I think with him, part of the equation is going to be where does he factor in on special teams? It's not something he's done a lot of. I think he's going to embrace that challenge and hopefully he'll perform well on teams."
Betting Odds, Over/Under for Texans vs. Saints
Caesars Sportsbook lists the Saints as 2.5-point favorites over the Texans as of Friday evening. The over/under on the game is listed at 38 points.
