Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud made his preseason debut on Thursday night against the New England Patriots at Gilette Stadium and instantly suffered a “welcome to the NFL” moment.
Stroud, 21, only played 11 snaps and a pair of them were terrible outcomes. He threw an interception on the opening drive of the contest and was sacked shortly after on a third down.
Mahomes shows off unbelievable trick throws with left hand and behind the back
The second overall draft pick completed two of four pass attempts for just 13 yards in a pair of drives. He also ran twice for six yards.
His interception eventually led to a 44-yard field goal by Patriots kicker Nick Foles for Houston to trail 3-0.
Stroud was fortunate his team took the lead before halftime with Davis Mills under center.
Tank Dell makes incredible catch for Texans
Texans wide receiver Tank Dell made an incredible catch in the end zone right before halftime.
He couldn’t grasp the football at first and benefited from a lucky bounce off his leg, eventually gaining control.
The touchdown and extra point put the Texans up 7-3 at halftime despite Stroud’s poor performance.
Stroud will see further action in the team’s two remaining preseason games. Houston defeated New England 20-9 as Malik Cunningham outshined Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
