Takeaways from the Patriots' first preseason game vs. the Texans

With Thursday's game now concluded, Bill Belichick's 24th season as head coach of the New England Patriots, and 49th overall in the NFL, is now underway. Unfortunately for Belichick, it began with a loss, as the Patriots fell to the Houston Texans by a score of 20-9.

Here are some takeaways from the first preseason game of the season.

The defense was a key component to the first half results, both good and bad

In the first half, the Patriots got off to a good start with Jalen Mills, who was making his first start back at safety, picked off Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, eventually setting up a 44-yard field goal off the leg of Nick Folk.

However, New England would not score again in the first half as it went into halftime trailing 7-3. Second-year quarterback Bailey Zappe was starting at quarterback, who went 10-for-12 for 67 yards.

The biggest takeaway from the first half was the good and bad of the defense. Let's start with the bad.

The defense as a whole had a hard time stopping Houston, especially on third down; this is definitely something to keep an eye on going down the road. It could prove to be an issue when playing teams they should be able to easily beat, like the Indianapolis Colts or the Washington Commanders, not to mention if they can force third downs against tougher opponents.

Now, the good. One player that stuck out was first-round pick Christian Gonzalez, who played about as advertised, if not better. Throughout the week, he has been a standout in Patriots camp, but in his action in the first half, he was solid. He only allowed a handful of passes on him, but, more importantly, he did not give up a touchdown.

Another player that stuck out on the defensive end was Keion White, who had three tackles (two solo and one assist). White seemed to be everywhere on every play, playing like a veteran. In reality, he is a rookie and was drafted just this year.

The defense seemed to let up in the second half, but Malik Cunningham looked good

The second half was not as sharp of a half for New England, as they allowed 13 points, but they were able to score six of their own on a touchdown run by an undrafted free agent, Malik Cunningham.

For the longest time, the Patriots seemed to be linked to Lamar Jackson, but ultimately, it was determined that he would not be a good fit.

Instead, they decided to sign his successor: Cunningham.

Cunningham came out in relief of Trace McSorley and immediately energized the offense. Cunningham led them on a 14-play, 75-yard, 7:58 drive that ultimately led to a touchdown. They would go for two but were unable to convert.

New England is back in action on Thursday of next week when they take on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.