Texans Fall To Patriots In Season Opener
A first half that saw the Houston Texans allow 21 points was too much to overcome in the season opener, with the New England Patriots defeating the Texans for a second straight season.
The Houston Texans struggled in the first half where they were outscored, 21-6 by the Patriots. Even in a second half where the Texans outscored New England, 14-6, it just wasn’t enough as the Texans lost to the Patriots, 27-20 in Week 1 at Gillette Stadium.
Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson finished 17-of-34 for 176 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Watson’s counterpart, Tom Brady of the Patriots, finished 26-of-39 for 277 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
Houston will need to have more from Watson than they had in his return in Week 1, but eventually that will most likely come with time.
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Lamar Miller led all running backs with 20 carries for 98 yards, including one run of 31 yards. Watson also chipped in with eight rushes for 40 yards, while Alfred Blue totaled five carries for 36 yards and one touchdown.
DeAndre Hopkins led the Texans with eight receptions for 78 yards, while Bruce Ellington had four receptions for 37 yards and one touchdown reception.
Offensively, the Texans totaled 325 yards on 71 plays, averaging 4.6 yards per play. Compare that to the Patriots, who had 389 yards on 72 plays, averaging 5.4 yards per play.
The Texans had issues stopping Brady in the first half as he had three touchdown passes in the first two quarters. The Houston defense did keep the Patriots out of the end zone in the second half, but the first half was too strong of an effort by New England as they took advantage of mistakes by the Texans and scored touchdowns when given the opportunities.
Brady finished 26-of-39 for 277 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Brady was 18-of-26 for 154 yards passing in the first half.
Defenslvely, Kareem Jackson totaled eight tackles and forced two fumbles. Tyrann Mathieu had an interception in the first half, while J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney combined for three solo tackles.
Overall, the effort was there for the Texans in the second half, but there were too many mistakes and they just didn’t stop the Patriots enough in the first half to gain the win. This is the second straight season the Texans played New England within seven points of a win, as last year Houston lost by three points to the home team, 36-33.
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Next for the Texans is a home game in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans in an AFC South battle. Check back to the Toro Times for more coverage of the Week 1 season opener.