Week 1 · Regular Season · September 10, 2026
Houston Texans
Hayden
33
New England Patriots
Mark
17
Final
Recap
Texans Pull Away Late to Beat Patriots, 33–17 Houston opened the PUNT season with a 33–17 win over New England, turning a tight game through three quarters into a comfortable victory with 20 unanswered points in the fourth. The Texans controlled the game offensively, piling up 349 yards in the Madden box score while averaging 8.1 yards per play and converting 8 of 21 third downs. C.J. Stroud led the Houston passing attack with 262 yards and three touchdowns, with Xavier Hutchinson exploding for 173 yards and two scores. David Montgomery gave the Texans balance on the ground, rushing for 83 yards and a touchdown. New England's Drake Maye threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns, but the Patriots managed only 30 rushing yards and went just 2-for-10 on third down. Both defenses created opportunities in a turnover-heavy game, with each team forcing four turnovers. Houston's Henry To'oTo'o picked off two passes, helping the Texans keep New England off the board in the fourth quarter and put the game away. Final: Houston 33, New England 17.
Team Comparison
| HOU | Statistic | NE |
|---|---|---|
| 382 | Total Offense | 209 |
| 262 | Passing Yards | 179 |
| 120 | Rushing Yards | 30 |
| 4 | Turnovers | 4 |
| 2 | Sacks | 4 |
Game Leaders
passing
- Drake Maye (NE) — 179 yds, 2 TD
- C.J. Stroud (HOU) — 262 yds, 3 TD
rushing
- TreVeyon Henderson (NE) — 30 yds, 0 TD
- David Montgomery (HOU) — 83 yds, 1 TD
receiving
- A.J. Brown (NE) — 45 yds, 0 TD
- Xavier Hutchinson (HOU) — 173 yds, 2 TD
defense
- Rob Spillane (NE) — 3 tkl, 0 sk, 1 INT
- Henry To'oTo'o (HOU) — 3 tkl, 0 sk, 2 INT