Three standout stars for Patriots in Thursday’s preseason opener

Here are the three standout stars from the Patriots’ first preseason game.

The New England Patriots opened the 2023 preseason with a 20-9 loss to the Houston Texans.

In a game where the Patriots rested most of their projected starters and veterans, we got to see rookies and young players fighting for their NFL lives in 2023.

Even though this exhibition game is meaningless for the 2023 season, it’s a good chance to take a look at players we might not ever get to see showcase their skills.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the three most impactful players for the Patriots in Thursday’s preseason opener.

The Morning After: Malik Cunningham sparks Patriots in 20-9 loss

TMA: Some observations from the Patriots’ 20-9 loss to the Houston Texans on Thursday night.

The Morning After, and football, is officially back after the New England Patriots hosted the Houston Texans on Thursday night in Foxborough.

Even though the Patriots lost the exhibition match 20-9, there were some things to build upon and be excited about as the team treads forward to their Sept. 10 regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Patriots offense stalled early playing behind an inexperienced offensive line. They’re still working through the details on offense, but it is improved from last season. So there’s hope the unit can be better down the stretch.

Here are some observations from Thursday’s game against the Texans.

New England Patriots vs Houston Texans Prediction, Game Preview

New England Patriots vs Houston Texans prediction, game preview, and fantasy player to watch

New England Patriots vs Houston Texans prediction, game preview, and fantasy player to watch.


New England Patriots vs Houston Texans Broadcast

Date: Sunday, November 22
Game Time: 1:00 ET
Venue: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX
Network: CBS

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All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

New England Patriots (4-5) vs Houston Texans (2-7) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the NFL, go to BetMGM


Why New England Patriots Will Win

Houston just doesn’t force mistakes.

The offense is going just fine through the air, there’s enough explosion to get by, and the team has been competitive, but the D has a grand total of five takeaways on the season and it’s not doing nearly enough on third downs.

New England doesn’t do anything fancy, but it runs more than anyone in the NFL and now it gets to go against the NFL’s worst run D – just pencil in the Patriots for over 200 yards on the ground.

CFN Experts Picks: NFL

Why Houston Texans Will Win

If the Texans can somehow get up early, New England doesn’t have the quick-strike capability to come back.

The whole Jakobi Meyers thing is nice, but the Patriots just don’t have enough good wide receivers to throw any sort of a scare into the mediocre Texan secondary. New England is among the worst teams in the NFL at allowing big plays through the air, giving up a whopping 7.8 yards per attempt, making this a big play for fantasy owners of Deshaun Watson and Will Fuller on one side, and …

Fantasy Football Player To Watch

QB Cam Newton, New England
Houston can’t stop anyone on the ground, let alone Newton, who’s all but automatic around the goal line. Cam’s confidence appears to be back – expect him to be a mortal lock to run for a few scores if and when the Patriots get inside the five regardless of game script. 

What’s Going To Happen

Houston has been overdue for a decent win over a real team for weeks – and beating Jacksonville twice doesn’t count. The Patriots will control the game on the ground enough to overcome two big deep shots to Fuller, giving it out in the fourth to keep Deshaun on the sidelines.

New England Patriots vs Houston Texans Prediction, Line

New England 30, Houston 26
Bet on New England Patriots vs Houston Texans with BetMGM
New England -2.5, o/u: 49
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3

Must See Rating: 3

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