Mallett started the game and looked uncomfortable; maybe his nerves got the best of him. He didn’t get help as Garrett Graham dropped 2 early passes and wide receiver Keith Mumphrey dropped a key 3rd down conversion deep in the red zone, forcing the Texans to settle for a field goal to go up 3-0 in the first quarter. Outside of an early miscommunication between Alfred Blue and Mallett, the offense looked decent and moved down the field.
The defense started strong, forcing two straight 3 and outs. It was good to see Jadeveon Clowney getting early pressure on Panther’s quarterback Cam Newton.