The New England Patriots get their first taste of real football on Thursday night with a head-to-head showdown with the Houston Texans slated for the preseason opener.
Houston wasted no time in naming rookie first-round draft pick C.J. Stroud as the starting quarterback for the game. That move alone creates excitement right out of the gates and should draw even more eyes to this match-up.
With that said, the Patriots aren’t expected to play their starters in this meeting. This will be a game where they likely highlight Bailey Zappe, Trace McSorley and possibly even Malik Cunningham at quarterback.