New Orleans at Houston

This is a pair of teams with new head coaches, but the similarities end there. New Orleans head coach Dennis Allen has been a member of the team's coaching staff for 12 seasons, most recently as defensive coordinator for seven years. He inherits a strong all-around program from Sean Payton with a winning record in 2021. Jameis Winston won't play (ankle), so QBs Andy Dalton and Ian Book are battling for the backup job while the defense is very good, including a terrific secondary. Houston needs major improvements all over the field for new coach Lovie Smith with the team off of a 4-13 campaign. That record doesn't include their only home preseason game, losing to Tampa Bay, 23-16, after trailing 16-2 at the half. QB David Mills will start, and he had a terrible preseason in 2021 with two TDs and four INTs. Retread QBs Kyle Allen, Jeff Driskel, and Kevin Hogan are the backups. Houston has ample youth, new playbooks, and a lot of holes. Play New Orleans.