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Takeaways from Patriots Preseason Opener vs Texans

The Patriots' backup defense dominated the Texans' starters, while an undrafted rookie provided a spark to an anemic offense
Taylor KylesBy Updated:5 Mins Read

The Patriots fell to the Houston Texans 20-9 in their preseason opener, with offensive issues undercutting an overall strong defensive performance. Neither starting unit took the field for New England, which was reflected by offensive line struggles that have been present since early in training camp. This led to a lackluster stat line for most offensive players and few points.

Still, there were plenty of positive takeaways from the matchup, including a dominant performance from the 2nd-string defense and a coming-out party for one undrafted rookie.

Here are my observations from tonight’s game.

KEION WHITE AND THE DEFENSIVE FRONT DOMINATE

The Patriots consistently harassed 1st-round pick C.J. Stroud and smothered the Texans’ top backs tonight, as Houston couldn’t hold up against New England’s second and third-string defensive front.

Daniel Ekuale had a sack on Houston’s opening drive and nearly had another on Houston’s next possession, but was called for roughing the passer.

Anfernee Jennings also made his presence felt, forcing Stroud into a pair of high throws that led to incompletions and drawing a hold after getting free on a stunt.

The biggest standout along the defensive front was 2nd-round pick Keion White, who wreaked havoc from multiple alignments in the 1st half.

He was sound against the run, made his presence felt as a pass rusher, and made a heads-up play to capitalize on a botched pitch for a turnover.

Despite his jaw-dropping combination of size and athleticism, White slipped in the draft due to his tweener body type and lack of refinement. But under the tutelage of defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington, it’s clear the Patriots know how to maximize the rookie’s talent.

JALEN MILLS SHOWS HIS SAVVY AT SAFETY

Jalen Mills is no stranger to the safety position, or any spot in the defensive backfield, having played every secondary position during his time with the Eagles. That experience was on full display tonight, with Mills making a pair of impact plays from different spots.

The first was an interception on the game’s opening drive. When I asked Mills about the play, where I initially he was playing the role of “robber” over the middle, the safety clarified that he was actually in man coverage against tight end Dalton Schultz. But because of Schultz’s alignment in the backfield and the long-yardage situation, Mills was able to play from depth and manipulate Stroud into thinking he was in zone. A wily play from the veteran.

 

 

The next big play came on a tackle for loss late in the 1st quarter, where he blitzed from his slot alignment and beat his blocker to get into the backfield.

Mills was solid as a cornerback for New England the past two seasons, but he may have found his calling as more of a chess piece in their secondary.

TYQNAN THORNTON SIGHTING

It was a quiet night for the Patriots’ young receivers. Demario Douglas, who’s spent a ton of time with the top offense in training camp, only played two snaps. When asked about Douglas’ lack of playing time, Bill Belichick responded, “The play time is based on how the practices have gone. The guys that got more work in practice got less time in the game.”

Kayshon Boutte, who’s come on strong lately after a slow start, was on the field for most of the night but saw just two targets for two receptions and seven yards.

Though Tyquan Thornton only saw a pair of throws go his way, he made the most of a deep target from Bailey Zappe on the offense’s second drive.

With the Texans playing Cover 2, Zappe tried hitting a “hole shot” between the cloud corner and deep safety. The pass was high, but Thornton fully extended and showed great concentration to make the catch with Jalen Pitre closing in for a breakup attempt.

With Thornton having ground to make up after spending most of camp with backup quarterbacks, this was a positive sign in the right direction for last year’s 2nd-round pick.

MALIK CUNNINGHAM ENTERS THE QUARTERBACK COMPETITION

With nearly all of the Patriots’ starting offensive line dealing with injuries, several depth players have been asked to step up throughout training camp. It’s been a tumultuous experiment, with the offense struggling to execute plays or sustain momentum due to a porous front.

Those concerns bled into tonight’s game, with neither Bailey Zappe nor Trace McSorley able to comfortably stand in the pocket for most of the contest. Zappe did well to avoid mistakes and play turnover-free football, but the line’s inability to give him time or move the ball on the ground led to a parade of three-and-outs.

The offense seemed incapable of putting a solid drive together deep into the 4th quarter, but that changed when quarterback-receiver hybrid Malik Cunningham took the reigns from McSorley.

There were predictable changes, like more quarterback-centric runs and scrambles to move the chains, but the undrafted rookie also flashed his ability as a pocket passer.

He appeared to make smart decisions, threw with accuracy, and should’ve had a downfield touchdown to Tre Nixon that was dropped.

But despite this setback (and a brutal facemask penalty earlier in the drive) Cunningham overcame the odds and willed the offense to its only touchdown of the game, juking a defender out of his shoes in the Red Zone and willing his way past the goal line.

Mac Jones is clearly entrenched as the team’s top quarterback, and as I mentioned, Zappe had a solid night all things considered, but Cunningham is making a serious push for a backup role and clearly has support from his teammates.

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Taylor Kyles is the lead NFL Analyst for CLNS Media covering players, schemes, and tendencies through a New England Patriots-centric lens.

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