Graham Mertz guided a Texans drive with poise, completing 11-of-13 passes for 122 yards, including a 6-yard TD to Quintez Cephus as Houston built a 16-7 cushion against Detroit in the preseason.

Cephus, a long-shot for the 53-man roster, flashed again at Ford Field after a similar catch in joint practice, keeping his odds alive. Houston heads into halftime ready for the second half, and the regular-season opener at SoFi against the Rams looms as a bigger stage for Mertz’s development and Cephus’s roster case.

Fantasy watchers should note the QB depth development and Cephus’s ongoing evaluation, with decisions on the Texans’ WR depth and Mertz’s long-term upside still very much in flux.