Backup quarterbacks sloppy for Texans, Cowboys
HOUSTON — Trying to make a strong impression for a chance of playing in the NFL, Houston Texans rookie running back Terry Swanson said he saw an opening and never looked back.
Swanson had a 37-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to lift the Texans to a 14-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys in their preseason finale Thursday night.
The undrafted rookie running back out of Toledo, who served as an understudy to the Chiefs’ Kareem Hunt in college, found a hole with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to put the Texans up two scores. Swanson finished with 69 yards on 17 carries.
“It’s a dream come true to score my first NFL touchdown like that,” he said.
“I wanted to have an opportunity to show what I can do. The odds are against you being an undrafted free agent, but for something like that to happen, puts you at better odds.” Both teams rested their starters. Houston took a 7-3 lead in the first quarter after third-round pick safety Justin Reid intercepted Cooper Rush’s pass to set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Alfred Blue. Blue, competing for the backup job behind Lamar Miller, rushed for 18 yards on four carries, while Troymaine Pope rushed for 21 yards on five carries.
The Cowboys scored on two field goals from backup kicker Brett Maher, one on their opening drive from 57 yards and one late in the fourth quarter from 41.
Texans backup quarterback Brandon Weeden started and went 3 for 9 for 22 yards. Behind Weeden, Joe Webb went 11 for 18 for 136 yards.
“We didn’t do much offensively,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “I wouldn’t say it was a stellar offensive night. I thought the effort was good, but it just wasn’t great, offensively, all night.”
With the offense struggling, O’Brien got plenty of film on his punters, engaged in a tight position battle. Veteran punter Shane Lechler and rookie Trevor Daniel, went back and forth, with Lechler punting five times for 212 yards (42.4 average) and Daniel punting four times for 163 yards (40.8).
After Daniel excelled in the first half, he punted one out of bounds that went just 30 yards. Lechler followed with a booming 61-yard punt to the Dallas 20-yard line.
“Both guys have really done well,” O’Brien said. “Shane Lechler, in my opinion, is a Hall of Famer punter. He’s competed at a really high level. And Trevor Daniel is a really good young punter. Both guys have done a really good job.”
Lynch has big second half
In Glendale, Ariz., Paxton Lynch made his case for backup quarterback — or at least staying on Denver’s roster — with a near-perfect second half that led the Broncos to a 21-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the teams’ preseason finale Thursday night.
Lynch completed 14 of 15 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns and was not intercepted.
Chad Kelly, who seemed to have a tenuous hold on the backup job behind Denver starter Case Keenum entering the game, played the first half and went 12 of 19 for 126 yards and no touchdowns with one interception.
Lynch had TD passes of 16 yards to Jordan Leslie in the third quarter and 10 yards to Matt LaCosse on the first play of the fourth.
Mike Glennon, the subject of some trade speculation as Arizona’s No. 3 quarterback behind Sam Bradford and rookie Josh Rosen, played the first half, going 8 of 10 for 69 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.
Virtually all of the Cardinals’ starters and all of the Broncos’ regulars sat out the finale. Arizona finished the preseason 3-1 and Denver 2-2.
The Broncos were moving the ball on the game’s first possession when Jacquies Smith, among those competing for a roster spot at defensive end, intercepted Kelly’s short pass and returned it 21 yards to the Denver 41.
It was the 17th takeaway by the Arizona defense in the four preseason games, the most in four preseason games since Tampa Bay had 17 in 2000.
Glennon threaded a 26-yard pass to undrafted rookie Trent Sherfield to the 3-yard line. Two plays later, Glennon threw a 2-yard TD pass to Greg Little.