The final game of preseason is a 60-minute countdown across the NFL for the regular season to at last begin.
For coaches and personnel departments, each second is a lagging grain of sand that keeps open the possibility for something disastrous to happen to a key player on the roster. Some teams forgo having their starters take any snaps for this reason.
Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans met with reporters Wednesday and indicated the plan is to play the starters against the New Orleans Saints Aug. 27 at Caesars Superdome.
“We’ll see,” Ryans said. “As of right now, our plan is to get our first guys probably about two series and see how that goes and allow the younger guys to have a lot of work in the game.”
Ryans stated earlier that rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud would make his third consecutive start.
The rookie coach would not go as far to say that Stroud was ipso facto the Texans’ starter on Opening Day against the Baltimore Ravens.
“In everybody’s case, we’ll see who earns what, and you’ll see our starters in Baltimore,” said Ryans.
