NFL Week 6 scores and live updates: Bears beat Jaguars in London, channel, highlights, analysis, stats
Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud showed once again why he earned that nod during his rookie season, leading the Houston Texans to a dominant 41-21 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday. Stroud went 20-of-31 passing for 192 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
Sunday was the third time in Stroud’s young career he’s thrown for at least three touchdowns and the first time this season. The Ohio State product threw five touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the regular season last year, and defeated the Cleveland Browns during the AFC wild-card game by throwing three touchdowns.
Texans running back Joe Mixon returned to the field for the first time since suffering a high right ankle sprain in a Week 2 win over the Chicago Bears. Mixon made the most of his return, rushing for 102 yards, a touchdown and caught two passes for 30 yards and a touchdown through the air.
Stroud, Mixon and the Houston defense soured the debut of Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye. New England selected Maye with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but started veteran Jacoby Brissett under center for its first five games.
The Texans’ defense sacked Maye four times, intercepted two of his passes and recovered two fumbles.
Houston (5-1) now sits atop the AFC South with the win, as the Patriots (1-5) find themselves last in the AFC East.
Drake Maye’s debut
New England got the full rookie quarterback experience in Maye’s debut as the team’s starter.
In a lot of ways, it was quite predictable. With Maye at the helm, there were more explosive plays, more general production from the passing game, but also more mistakes. He finished 20-of-33 passing for 243 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.
If you’re looking for optimism, it’s easy to find with Maye. His 40-yard deep ball that fell right into Kayshon Boutte’s hands as he crossed into the end zone was the stuff of dreams in New England. Maye’s 243 passing yards were more than any of Brissett’s five games as starting quarterback (while acknowledging the low bar of that mark).
Yet there were plenty of learning moments, too. Maye overthrew Demario Douglas for a bad first-half interception. Then in the fourth quarter, he didn’t put enough air on a throw to the flat and it was deflected and caught (in unlikely fashion) for his second interception.
So, Maye certainly wasn’t perfect. But there were enough positive moments to yield optimism even if what surrounds Maye isn’t any good.
With him at quarterback, the Patriots are a lot more fun, likely yielding more explosive plays even if it comes with more mistakes.
Patriots’ run game struggles
New England wanted to be a run-first offense that opens up the passing game by wearing down defenses with the way the run the ball. But in Maye’s debut as a starter, the Patriots’ rushing game was miserable.
They were without starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson, but even that doesn’t fully explain why or how they were so bad.
Antonio Gibson, who had mostly outplayed Stevenson the first five games, ran for only 19 yards on 13 carries. New England had two other designed rushes and those went for only four combined yards. Maye’s task on this offense was never going to be an easy one given the struggles of the offensive line and wide receivers.
But the Patriots at least thought their running game could take some pressure off him. Instead, they made his situation worse.
Rough showing for New England defense
Injuries and trades have meant that this New England defense isn’t the powerhouse it used to be. When you lose Matthew Judon, Christian Barmore, and Ja’Whaun Bentley, that’s going to happen.
Still, it’s not an excuse for how bad they played.
The Texans moved the ball with ease. They scored on five of their first nine drives with one other possession in that span ending with a missed field goal. Christian Gonzalez is the Patriots’ top cornerback, but he didn’t have his best game, beaten too often by Stefon Diggs.
The pass rush, meanwhile, didn’t get to Stroud often enough, leaving him plenty of time to find receivers. The Patriots have now allowed 23 or more points in four of their last five games with the lone exception being a contest against the Miami Dolphins who were playing their third-string quarterback.
And this offense certainly isn’t built to keep up with more than 23 points.
No Nico Collins, no problem
Even without the NFL’s leading receiver entering Week 6, the Texans’ passing game rolled.
Stroud hit three different players for touchdowns, while Tank Dell and Diggs combined for 134 yards.
They weren’t gaudy numbers for the pair, but it was an efficient game for them on a day the Texans didn’t need to pass the ball all that much after holding a 14-0 lead by the time the first quarter ended and a 27-14 lead after three quarters. The game was never in doubt for them.
Tougher tests will loom for Houston while Collins remains on the injured reserve list for at least three more games. Next week’s visit to Green Bay could be a shootout and shine light on the absence of Collins, but against the Patriots, the Texans managed just fine.
Mixon’s big return
Mixon’s return offered a jolt for the Texans offense and a big-play threat in the running game they lacked without him.
After missing the last three games due to an ankle injury, Mixon carried the ball 13 times for 102 yards. It was a bit of a boom or bust day for him, but he made up for some early struggles by sprinting for a 59-yard carry in the second quarter.
Mixon caught a first quarter pass in the flat after his defender was picked and took the ball 10 yards into the end zone. Then in the fourth quarter, he bounced a carry to the left for a 20-yard touchdown that essentially put the game away (as if there were any doubt).
Required reading
- Russini’s what I’m hearing: Why Drake Maye’s time arrived
- Why the Patriots switched to Drake Maye at QB — despite their struggling offensive line
- Will Drake Maye excel? From Plunkett to Zappe, how Patriots QBs fared in starting debuts
- NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Commanders rising; checking in on fantasy flops
(Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
