It was over when
Houston's Jacoby Jones returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter, giving the Texans a 17-point lead. The Cardinals drew within 10 points, but didn't get any closer.
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| Stephen Dunn / Getty Images |
| Matt Leinart, who struggled in his first preseason start, was perfect against Houston on Saturday. |
Game balls
While opposing quarterbacks Matt Leinart (Arizona) and Matt Schaub (Houston) struggled in their respected preseason openers in Week 1, they were impressive on Saturday. Leinart completed all seven of his passes for 70 yards, capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass to Edgerrin James. Schaub completed 9-of-12 passes for 108 yards and rushed for a 5-yard touchdown.
Key stat
James managed only 11 yards on five attempts, being bested by Leinart (13 yards) and Marcel Shipp (12 yards) in the first half.
Noteworthy
Is there a quarterback controversy in Arizona? Absolutely not. But not only was Kurt Warner impressive (7-of-9 for 87 yards), Anquan Boldin attempted a 55-yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald on the Cardinals first play from scrimmage (the Texans were flagged for interference). Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt has committed to using Boldin in a similar fashion to the way he used Hines Ward as offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh. ... Former Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky made his return to University of Phoenix Stadium (where he and the Broncos defeated Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl). But sadly, Houston did not run the "Statue of Liberty" or "Hook and Ladder".
