Texans vs. Patriots: 5 players to watch

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HOUSTON, TX – AUGUST 30: Tyrann Mathieu #32 of the Houston Texans greets members on the sideline in the second half of the preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at NRG Stadium on August 30, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

4. Tyrann Mathieu, free safety (Texans)

Houston Texans fans need to be excited to have Tyrann Mathieu on their roster and to have him as he faces New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for the first time in his career. Mathieu played his entire career in the NFC West with the Arizona Cardinals, but now playing for the Texans, he’ll be seeing some new faces and his first one happens to be possibly the greatest quarterback to play the game.

That alone makes Mathieu worth watching in Week 1, but having Mathieu — who was released from the Cardinals due to cap space issues — should be exciting as he enters his sixth season in the NFL, coming off a 2017 season where he totaled 78 tackles, one sack and two interceptions in 16 games played.

The Texans now have a safety to add with strong safety Kareem Jackson, along with cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph and Kevin Johnson to give the defensive backfield a solid core of players that should be able to make the Texans defense a formidable unit. Mathieu will be put to the test early with his new team, and this Sunday he’s well worth watching to see just how he plays against Brady and company in the season opener.

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