Texans beat Patriots, C.J. Stroud vows to be 'better' after preseason debut

Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud completed just two passes and threw an interception, but the Houston Texans still managed to beat the New England Patriots in his preseason debut in Foxborough, Mass.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft started for the Texans in the 20-9 victory Thursday at Gillette Stadium. He completed 2 of 4 passes for 13 yards and was replaced after the Texans' second drive.

"It was kind of a crazy opportunity to be able to go out to my first NFL stadium and first NFL game," Stroud told reporters. "There are a lot of things I've been through to get to this moment. It was special.

"Of course, I just wish I didn't do one mistake on one certain play, but other than that, I played solid and it felt good to get hit again."

Defensive end Will Anderson Jr., the No. 3 overall pick, and wide receiver Tank Dell, a third-round pick, were among the other Texans rookies to debut against the Patriots. Anderson logged one tackle, while Dell made five catches for 65 yards and a touchdown.

Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, the No. 17 pick, and second-round pick Keion White were among the rookies to debut for the Patriots. White and Gonzalez each logged three combined tackles.

Patriots defensive back Jalen Mills intercepted Stroud to end the Texans' opening drive. Kicker Nick Folk made a 44-yard field goal about a minute later for a 3-0 Patriots lead.

"If I could do it all over again, I would have just taken the check-down [receiver]," Stroud said. "That look wasn't superb. I just have to be better on my part."

Stroud faired a bit better on his second drive, moving the Texans from the 18-yard line to the 46-yard line. The Texans ended that possession with a punt. Stroud was replaced by Davis Mills at the end of the first quarter.

"Of course I'm not super excited about how I played," Stroud said. "I didn't get to play a lot, but I just got my feet in the water. I will learn from my mistakes and keep going."

The Texans and Patriots continued to exchange punts until Mills threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Dell about 12 seconds before halftime.

Mills took a shotgun snap on the play. He then dropped back and fired a pass to his left. Dell appeared to snag the catch, but the ball popped out. The rookie stayed focused and managed to cradle the ball against his right leg before snatching it up with a terrific second effort.

The score was part of a run of 20-consecutive points for the Texans.

Texans tight end/fullback Dalton Keene scored on a 1-yard run with 7:20 remaining in the third quarter. Backup quarterback Case Keenum threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Alex Bachman about five minutes into the fourth quarter.

Undrafted rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham scored the final points of the night with a 9-yard run for the Patriots with 1:54 remaining.

Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe completed 12 of 14 passes for 79 yards in the loss. Cunningham completed 3 of 4 passes for 19 yards and ran for 34 yards on five carries. He also played wide receiver, but did not make a catch.

Patriots quarterback Trace McSorley completed 1 of 3 passes for four yards.

Mills completed 9 of 12 passes for 99 yards and a score for the Texans. Keenum completed 9 of 14 passes for 79 yards and a score.

The Texans will host the Miami Dolphins in their next preseason game at 4 p.m. EDT Aug. 19 in Houston. The Patriots will face the Green Bay Packers at 8 p.m. Aug. 19 in Green Bay, Wis.