Patriots Trail Texans at Half of Preseason Opener

The New England Patriots trail 7-3 at halftime of their first preseason game against the Houston Texans

All eyes were on Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, ahead of his preseason debut against the New England Patriots on Thursday night.

However, the Patriots' defense turned Stroud's first glimpse of NFL action into a forgettable one. The former Ohio State Buckeyes star completed just two of four passes for 13 yards and threw an interception to Patriots cornerback Jalen Mills. Stroud's night came to an end shortly after, as he was replaced by Davis Mills after two drives.

The Patriots took advantage of the interception with a field goal, but could not punch it in for a touchdown. That field goal stood as the only points of the game for a while, but at the end of the half Texans rookie receiver Tank Dell made an acrobatic catch in the end zone to put Houston up 7-3 at the break.

Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe has looked sharp through the first half, completing 10 of 12 passes for 67 yards. New England hasn't had much of a running game so far with just six rushing yards in the half, and has allowed two sacks. Tyquan Thornton leads the way in receiving with two catches for 31 yards, including a 27-yard strike from Zappe.

Despite a slow start from Stroud, the Texans' offense has been moving the ball effectively. Davis Mills has completed nine of 12 passes for 99 yards and a touchdowns while the Texans have racked up 63 yards on the ground. Dell has impressed in his first NFL half, hauling in five passes for 65 yards and a score.

The Patriots will get the ball to start the second half.

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