Texans vs. Patriots: 5 players to watch

The Houston Texans are set to take on the New England Patriots in Week 1. This game features some excellent players on both sides, and here are five players to watch in the season opener.

Where do we start with the 2018 NFL Week 1 season opener between the Houston Texans and the New England Patriots? The Texans are going on the road to attempt to do one of the toughest things in sports: defeat the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

Last season, Houston gave the Patriots all they could handle with New England winning by just three points by a 36-33 score. In that game, the Texans led the Patriots, 10-7 at the end of the first quarter, only to see the Patriots lead 21-20 at halftime. Both teams scored seven points in the third, and New England won the game by outscoring the Texans, 8-6 in the fourth quarter, with New England winning the game off a 25-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Brandin Cooks with 14:37 left in regulation.

Since that game, the Texans saw a little more success with the emergence of Deshaun Watson until his season was ended due to an ACL tear, while the Patriots went on to win the AFC and lose to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.

Now being a new season, the Patriots enter this game favored by 6.5 points, but everything is new. For the Texans, they are out to prove they are better than a four-win team when they are healthy, and the Patriots are out to get back to the Super Bowl and avenge their loss from last season.

For each team to prove how good they can be, they have players who will become difference-makers in this game, and here are 5 players to watch as the Texans travel to face New England in Week 1 action.