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The Arizona Cardinals will kick off their preseason slate with a home tilt against the Houston Texans at 5:30 PM Arizona time.
History between the two teams:
In the preseason, the two teams have met twice previously, both also at home. Their first matchup was a 33-20 Texans win in 2007 and then, in 2010, the Cardinals won 19-16. In the regular season, the Cardinals hold a 2-1 edge in the all-time series, winning twice at home. They defeated Houston 27-24 in Week 9 of 2013.
Some numbers:
Statistically, the two teams were very different from one another a season ago, which is why the Texans changed coaching staffs. The Texans lost their final 14 games of the season, ending with the league's worst record at 2-14. They were 31st in points scored and 24th in points allowed. However, they were 11th in yards per game, which was a rank higher than the Cardinals. The Cardinals managed to convert more drives into scores, as they were 16th in points scored.
The difference? Houston was -20 in the turnover ratio, which was worst in the league.
Arizona ranked 11th in offensive yards and 16th in points scored. Defensively, they were seventh in points allowed, sixth on overall defense, but number one against the run, allowing less than 85 yards per game.
Connections:
There aren't a lot of player connections between the two teams. The Cardinals have safety Orhian Johnson, who was signed as an undrafted rookie last year by Houston and, until late this week, they had Trevardo Williams, whom the Texans cut just a week ago. The Cardinals already released him.
The Texans have on player who was a former Cardinal -- linebacker Quentin Groves, who played in Arizona in 2012 for one year.
