Dropped passes and a sluggish start plagued the Texans offense in Ryan Mallett’s first start of the season. Mallett was 27-of-58 for 244 yards and added two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) with one interception.
The Texans offensive line was reshuffled without starting left tackle Duane Brown and then lost tackle Jeff Adams to a knee injury during the game.
Mallett and the offense gained momentum after halftime with a pair of touchdowns to bring the Texans within one score after trailing by as many as 14.
The Texans defense held the Panthers to 10 points in the first half, but struggled to contain Cam Newton, who had two passing touchdowns and rushed for 76 yards and a score.