Game story
In Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season on 2023-10-15, the Houston Texans took care of business against the New Orleans Saints, pulling away with a 20–13 final that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 19 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
D. Carr (New Orleans Saints) paced the passing game, with +4.77 total EPA, and +5.5% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, C. Olave (New Orleans Saints) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +6.50 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-15.0% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when New Orleans Saints changed the game: (4:37) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass short right to 41-A.Kamara to HOU 13 for 2 yards (0-S.Griffin, 53-B.Cashman).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Houston Texans | 7 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 C. Olave · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +6.50 total EPA · 10 snaps · +0.65 EPA/play
- 2 R. Shaheed · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +5.60 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.93 EPA/play
- 3 D. Schultz · Houston Texans · Receiving · +4.78 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.68 EPA/play
- 4 D. Carr · New Orleans Saints · Passing · +4.77 total EPA · 56 snaps · +0.09 EPA/play
- 5 C. Stroud · Houston Texans · Passing · +4.14 total EPA · 33 snaps · +0.13 EPA/play
- 6 N. Collins · Houston Texans · Receiving · +3.63 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.60 EPA/play
- 7 F. Moreau · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +2.20 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.55 EPA/play
- 8 T. Hill · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +1.48 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.19 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
C. Olave — NO · Receiving
C. Olave posted the highest total EPA (+6.50) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on New Orleans Saints's efficiency. Across 10 counted snaps, they averaged +0.65 EPA per play.
The signature play (+4.57 EPA) came from New Orleans Saints: (:18) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep middle to 22-R.Shaheed for 34 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Houston Texans — D. Schultz (C. Stroud pass)
- New Orleans Saints — R. Shaheed (D. Carr pass)
- Houston Texans — R. Woods (C. Stroud pass)
Field goals
- Houston Texans — K. Fairbairn
- New Orleans Saints — B. Grupe
- Houston Texans — K. Fairbairn
- New Orleans Saints — B. Grupe
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: The quarter finished even at 7–7. Houston Texans found the end zone from the NO 1 (Q1 48:45) — (3:45) 7-C.Stroud pass short right to 86-D.Schultz for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Houston Texans added 1 points from the NO 15 (Q1 48:41) — 15-K.Fairbairn extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Weeks, Holder-11-C.Johnston.; New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the HOU 34 (Q1 45:18) — (:18) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep middle to 22-R.Shaheed for 34 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the HOU 15 (Q1 45:13) — 19-B.Grupe extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-39-L.Hedley..
The second quarter: Houston Texans won the period 16–3. Houston Texans connected on a field goal from the NO 5 (Q2 40:30) — (10:30) 15-K.Fairbairn 24 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-J.Weeks, Holder-11-C.Johnston.; Houston Texans found the end zone from the NO 6 (Q2 32:59) — (2:59) (Shotgun) 7-C.Stroud pass short middle to 2-R.Woods for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Houston Texans found the end zone from the NO 15 (Q2 32:56) — 15-K.Fairbairn extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Weeks, Holder-11-C.Johnston.; New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the HOU 29 (Q2 30:22) — (:22) 19-B.Grupe 48 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-39-L.Hedley..
The third quarter: The quarter finished even at 3–3. Houston Texans connected on a field goal from the NO 4 (Q3 22:03) — (7:03) 15-K.Fairbairn 22 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-J.Weeks, Holder-11-C.Johnston.; New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the HOU 27 (Q3 17:21) — (2:21) 19-B.Grupe 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-39-L.Hedley..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- New Orleans Saints (Q4 4:37) — (4:37) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass short right to 41-A.Kamara to HOU 13 for 2 yards (0-S.Griffin, 53-B.Cashman).
- New Orleans Saints (Q1 45:18) — (:18) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep middle to 22-R.Shaheed for 34 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- New Orleans Saints (Q1 51:45) — (6:45) 19-B.Grupe 52 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-39-L.Hedley.
- New Orleans Saints (Q4 0:53) — (:53) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass short left to 12-C.Olave to HOU 24 for 9 yards (21-S.Nelson).
- New Orleans Saints (Q4 13:08) — (13:08) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass short middle to 12-C.Olave pushed ob at HOU 25 for 13 yards (5-J.Pitre).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- New Orleans Saints (Q1 45:18) — (:18) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep middle to 22-R.Shaheed for 34 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- New Orleans Saints (Q1 51:45) — (6:45) 19-B.Grupe 52 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-39-L.Hedley.
- New Orleans Saints (Q4 11:10) — (11:10) 19-B.Grupe 29 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-39-L.Hedley.
- New Orleans Saints (Q4 8:07) — (8:07) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep left to 22-R.Shaheed to HOU 35 for 51 yards (21-S.Nelson).
Quarterback report card
D.Carr led all passers in efficiency for New Orleans Saints, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- D.Carr (New Orleans Saints) · 56 dropbacks · 57.1% completion · +5.5% CPOE · +0.09 EPA/play · +4.77 total EPA
- C.Stroud (Houston Texans) · 33 dropbacks · 39.4% completion · -10.2% CPOE · +0.13 EPA/play · +4.14 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | New Orleans Saints | Houston Texans |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.059 | +0.025 |
| Offensive success rate | 45.4% | 44.2% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.085 | +0.125 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.101 | -0.044 |
| Defensive EPA/play | -0.025 | +0.059 |
| Defensive success rate | 55.8% | 54.6% |
By the numbers
Houston Texans held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (+0.03 vs -0.06), even if the scoreboard told a different story.
- Houston Texans: 12 drives, +1.92 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
- New Orleans Saints: 10 drives, -5.68 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Houston Texans leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- C. Olave (New Orleans Saints) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- D. Carr (NO) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
- C. Stroud (HOU) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Houston Texans TD (+6) — Q1 48:45 · NO 1 · Score 0-6
(3:45) 7-C.Stroud pass short right to 86-D.Schultz for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - Houston Texans XP (+1) — Q1 48:41 · NO 15 · Score 0-7
15-K.Fairbairn extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Weeks, Holder-11-C.Johnston. - New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q1 45:18 · HOU 34 · Score 6-7
(:18) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep middle to 22-R.Shaheed for 34 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q1 45:13 · HOU 15 · Score 7-7
19-B.Grupe extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-39-L.Hedley. - Houston Texans FG (+3) — Q2 40:30 · NO 5 · Score 7-10
(10:30) 15-K.Fairbairn 24 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-J.Weeks, Holder-11-C.Johnston. - Houston Texans TD (+6) — Q2 32:59 · NO 6 · Score 7-16
(2:59) (Shotgun) 7-C.Stroud pass short middle to 2-R.Woods for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Houston Texans TD (+7) — Q2 32:56 · NO 15 · Score 7-17
15-K.Fairbairn extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Weeks, Holder-11-C.Johnston. - New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q2 30:22 · HOU 29 · Score 10-17
(:22) 19-B.Grupe 48 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-39-L.Hedley. - Houston Texans FG (+3) — Q3 22:03 · NO 4 · Score 10-20
(7:03) 15-K.Fairbairn 22 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-J.Weeks, Holder-11-C.Johnston. - New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q3 17:21 · HOU 27 · Score 13-20
(2:21) 19-B.Grupe 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-39-L.Hedley.
Frequently asked questions
Who won New Orleans Saints vs Houston Texans?
The Houston Texans beat the New Orleans Saints 20-13 in Week 6, 2023 on 2023-10-15.
What was the final score of New Orleans Saints vs Houston Texans?
The final score was New Orleans Saints 13, Houston Texans 20 (NO 13-20 HOU) in Week 6, 2023 on 2023-10-15.
What was the score by quarter in New Orleans Saints vs Houston Texans?
Q1: New Orleans Saints 7, Houston Texans 7; Q2: New Orleans Saints 3, Houston Texans 16; Q3: New Orleans Saints 3, Houston Texans 3; Final: New Orleans Saints 13, Houston Texans 20.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in New Orleans Saints vs Houston Texans?
Houston Texans touchdown — D. Schultz (C. Stroud pass) (Q1 48:45) New Orleans Saints touchdown — R. Shaheed (D. Carr pass) (Q1 45:18) Houston Texans touchdown — R. Woods (C. Stroud pass) (Q2 32:59) Houston Texans field goal — K. Fairbairn (Q2 40:30, 3 pts) New Orleans Saints field goal — B. Grupe (Q2 30:22, 3 pts) Houston Texans field goal — K. Fairbairn (Q3 22:03, 3 pts) New Orleans Saints field goal — B. Grupe (Q3 17:21, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in New Orleans Saints vs Houston Texans?
D. Carr (New Orleans Saints), 57.1% completion, +5.5% CPOE, +0.09 EPA per dropback, +4.77 total passing EPA. C. Stroud (Houston Texans), 39.4% completion, -10.2% CPOE, +0.13 EPA per dropback, +4.14 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in New Orleans Saints vs Houston Texans?
C. Olave (New Orleans Saints) led the game in total EPA with +6.50 on receiving plays. across 10 snaps. The top single-play swing was (+4.57 EPA): (:18) (Shotgun) 4-D.Carr pass deep middle to 22-R.Shaheed for 34 yards, TOUCHDOWN.. The biggest win-probability swing was -15.0%.
Was New Orleans Saints vs Houston Texans a close game?
Yes — the margin was 7 points. Houston Texans won 20-13 in a game that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
Season records after this game
New Orleans Saints
Entered 3-2 Now 3-3 L
Houston Texans
Entered 2-3 Now 3-3 W
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