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What a game. The first Monday night football game of the 2019 season was an absolute dandy.
Two of the best NFL quarterbacks and two of the NFL's top receivers gave us a shootout that was decisive for the final game: a 58-yard punt from the foot of Saints Wil Lutz's punt.
Yes, I called Deshaun Watson one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL because he proved it on Monday night. He completed 20 of 30 passes for a total of 268 yards, three touchdowns and one interception – eight of those finals, 111 of those yards and two of those scores going to superstar DeAndre Hopkins. The former Clemson quarterback is ready for a great year.
The Texans had a 14-3 lead before break at half-time, and while the Saints were struggling to defend themselves fiercely, Houston refused to leave quietly.
Let's take a look at some of the things that could be the best game of the opening week of the 2019 NFL season.
Why the saints won
In other words, the Saints won because quarterback Drew Brees. Even at age 40, he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and still has ice in his veins. He completed 32 of 43 passes for 370 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in this one.
Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara played a leading role in this offensive attack, as planned. The first has 10 receptions for 123 yards and the last has 169.
With only 37 seconds left and one point missing, Brees orchestrated a six-game, 35-yard run that helped the Saints score a winning shot. It was a daunting task in what was an emotional game, but once again, Brees was successful.
Why Texans have lost
The Saints have won this game more than the Texans have lost. Despite a double-digit lead, the Texans refused to back down and stayed in that position until the final game. However, they could have done better some things that could have assured them a victory.
While Texans have recently made the acquisition of Laremy Tunsil, the offensive line remains fragile. Watson was sacked six times and was pressured almost every time he turned around. As he did in 2018, however, he struggled against adversity and almost gave Houston a win in the first week.
The defense could also have helped a little more. Houston racked up more total offensive yards in the first half, but after the last two quarterfinals, the Saints had a total offense of 510 yards over the 414 Texans.
In addition, the defensive player of the NFL year three times, J.J. Watt failed to register a single tackle Monday night. Both defenses were inconsistent in this game, and much of that can be attributed to the two-quarter game.
turning
There have been several games that could be considered as turning points in this one. There were times when the Texans seemed ready to run away with the match, and there were moments later in the second half where the Saints had the impression of having won the victory. Both teams refused to go to bed.
The room where people started to see the end come the penultimate part of the game. It was second place and the Saints were at the 49-yard line of Texans. For some reason, the Texans chose to rush to two players and drop the other nine players in the cover. The high school players played the ball as if Brees were about to launch a Hail Mary instead of getting close enough for a placement attempt.
Ted Ginn Jr. caught a nine-yard pass to the 40-yard line and Lutz sealed the contract with his kick.
This call to the defensive game will be addressed during the post-match press conference, and I hope that head coach Bill O 'Brien is ready to explain his reasoning.
Game of the game
It is impossible to determine a game of the game when it comes to this game. There have been so many moments that have made this game incredible, but this one will be forgotten because of the result.
With six points less than a minute from the end, Watson needed only two games to get the lead – a 38-yard catch from Hopkins, then 37-yard pass to Kenny Stills, who was playing his first match as a texan.
That should have been the winner of the game, but you never know with Brees on the sidelines. Even though it only has 37 seconds.
Nevertheless, Texans should be encouraged with what they saw coming out of Watson Monday night. His attack played the whole game and they were so close to starting the 2019 season in the winning streak.
To note
"I knew it was in there, I am confident in my operation, I am confident in what I am doing and all I wanted was a buyout after that failure, c & # 39; is what matters. "
These are the words that Lutz held at ESPN as a result of his placement on the field. He was lucky enough to reduce the single-digit deficit at the end of the second quarter, but he missed the 56-yard attempt, which only added to the anxiety that prevailed. the first half of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
These kickers live for redemption and Lutz was able to save his name considerably on Monday night.
According to STATS statistics, Lutz became the first NFL player to score two goals in the final 50 seconds of regulation since Cincinnati Bengals striker Doug Pelfrey scored two goals in the final three seconds of Christmas Eve 1994.
And after
The Saints travel west to face the reigning NFC champions Los Angeles Rams (4:25 pm, Fox, fuboTV try for free). This will be the first time the two teams will face each other since the Saints lost at home in the NFC conference championship, largely thanks to a stalled defensive interference. Everyone wants to leave from that moment, but that's something we'll be talking about here next week.
The Rams have just won a 30-27 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. They did not play incredibly well, but Sean McVay's calls to play were still very impressive and enough to get the job done.
The Texans will host the Jacksonville Jaguars (CBS, at 1 pm) on CBS All Access, a team that has already lost quarterback Nick Foles. The old Philadelphia eagle fractured collarbone in his Jaguars debut, and will be absent for at least half of the 2019 season.
Rookie Gardner Minshew will depart for Jacksonville. He completed 22 passes on 25 passes for 275 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the 40-26 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. All things considered, it was not a dreadful performance and the Jaguars are clearly not what they were in 2018.
To see how it all happens in real time, check out our live blog of the night below. You can watch the replay, including in condensed formats and all 22, with NFL Game Pass.
Thank you for joining us.
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