15:00: Steve Slaton is back to return for the Texans to start the second half. He brings it up to the 19.
13:00: Jordan Beck and Jack Williams combined for a nice open-field tackle to bring up 3rd and 6 for Houston.
11:45: Rosenfels looks deep down the left side and connects with Jacoby Jones for a 41-yard completion down to the nine yard line.
10:25: A chance to get off the field on 3rd and goal — the Texans are 3-of-6 going into this play. Roderick Rogers makes the initial hit and the defense collapses to stop the Texans short of the endzone. Field goal by Kris Brown — Texans 16, Broncos 7.
9:39: Clifford Russell returns the kick and leaps through the pile, but a defender clips his foot to bring him down before he could turn upfield. He jumps right up in disappointment, slapping the ball, but he still returns it out to the 27.
9:34: Alridge gets his first carry out of the backfield, but a holding call brings it back and makes it 1st and 20 from the 17.
8:49: Alridge catches a ball out of the backfield and turns up the field before taking a big hit and fumbling — though the ball rocketed backward directly into the arms of offensive tackle Tyler Polumbus. 2nd down.
7:19: Brett Kern steps in to punt it away, standing at his own 15-yard line. He kicks it to the 30, and the Texans’ returner — Jacoby Jones — starts running east to west, avoiding tacklers until Wesley Woodyard cut off a corner and made him reverse field again. Jones then bobbled the ball and dropped it and the Broncos recovered at the 24 yard line. Crazy play on the punt return, needless to say.
6:14: The third-down throw from Ramsey to Darrell Jackson is batted away by a cornerback. Prater kicks a 38-yarder from the left hash mark and nails it home. Broncos 10, Texans 16.
6:05: Woodyard makes a big special teams tackle, stopping the Houston return at the 21 yard line.
5:19 Josh Barrett runs to the sideline to make a nice stop on a quarterback sneak by the speedy Shane Boyd that looked like a sure first down. That brings up 3rd and 4. On third down Boyd rushes right for a first down.
4:22: Wide open Texans receiver Tim Carter drops a pass right in his hands from Boyd that would have been a first down.
2:54: The Texans try a quarterback sneak on fourth down and don’t make it to the marker. Broncos’ ball.
2:54: Darrell Hackney is in the game, and he hands the ball to Michael Pittman up the right side. Pittman puts a shoulder into his defender and gains 5 yards.
2:09: Alridge takes a pass to the left side and speeds his way for 12 yards and a first down.
1:04: Alridge picks up 19 yards on a run to the right side, beating the Texans defense to the sideline and turning the corner before getting pushed out at the 17-yard line.
0:00: Hackney avoids a sack, scrambles out of the pocket and throws the ball away out of bounds to end the quarter.
Tags: Gray Caldwell, Live Blog, Preseason, Third Quarter
I guess tonight will be a night where more players show why they should be cut instead of why they should be kept…
What the hell with penalties?!?!?