The Arizona Cardinals secured a convincing 37-6 victory over the Houston Texans in their 2016 preseason Week 3 matchup on August 27. Head coach Steven Edwards' team controlled the game from the outset, showing strength on both offense and defense.

The Cardinals opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 37-yard field goal by Terry McFalls, breaking the initial deadlock at 3-0. The Texans countered early in the second quarter with a 33-yard field goal from Patrick Polster to tie the game 3-3. However, the Cardinals quickly regained momentum, highlighted by a series of strong punts from David Phillips that consistently pinned Houston deep in their territory.

Arizona's defense forced three interceptions and recovered three fumbles, undermining Houston's offensive rhythm. Notably, Patrick Tate's first-quarter interception deep in Texans territory set the tone defensively. The Cardinals' defense also sacked Houston quarterbacks six times collectively.

Quarterback Frank Atkins led the Cardinals' offense with 196 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and a rushing contribution of 13 yards. Atkins connected for two touchdowns, including a 12-yard scoring pass to tight end Nicholas Cowling in the fourth quarter, who finished with 53 receiving yards and one rushing touchdown. Wide receivers Charles Butts and Andrew Hudgens both added rushing touchdowns while accumulating 34 and 24 receiving yards, respectively.

The Cardinals' ground game was equally effective, amassing 147 yards on 36 carries, with three rushing scores. In total, the offense demonstrated balance and efficiency.

Houston struggled to find offensive consistency. Quarterbacks Michael Brown and Larry Holmes combined for 189 passing yards but threw three interceptions. Running the ball was limited with only 24 rushing yards on 20 attempts. The Texans managed just two field goals, with no touchdowns on the scoreboard.

Houston's tight end Steven Gaddis was a bright spot, leading his team with 64 receiving yards. The Texans also forced two fumbles but failed to capitalize on those turnovers. Penalties were a factor for both teams; Houston committed nine penalties for 92 yards, while Arizona was flagged five times for 30 yards.

Despite some injuries, including Houston's Bernard Harrington and Arizona's Gil Ely, both teams maintained competitive efforts. The game concluded without any overtime additions, reaffirming the Cardinals' dominant control throughout.

The Cardinals improve their preseason record with this complete performance as they continue preparations under coach Steven Edwards for the regular season.