Main man: Joe Mixon helps Texans match franchise history at New England

C.J. Stroud got one of his best friends back in Sunday’s 41-21 win at New England. Texans running back Joe Mixon returned to the lineup and recorded 132 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns to help Houston match its best start in franchise history.

Stroud led the Texans to touchdowns on each of their first two drives, including a welcome-back 10-yard touchdown pass to Mixon, who averaged 7.8 yards per carry, with 102 yards on 13 attempts. He also posted 30 yards on two catches as Houston improved to 6-1, tying the start by a 2012 Texans team that finished in the AFC divisional playoffs.

“I just want to do whatever I can to be the best guy, help my teammates however I can,” Mixon said after the game. “Whether it’s vocally, whether it’s going out there and making plays like we do. I just try to be the best teammate that I can possibly be.”

Stroud may have been Mixon’s happiest teammate. In Stroud’s first game without the NFL’s leading receiver Nico Collins, who sustained a hamstring injury last week, the quarterback threw three touchdowns – all in the red zone. After short scoring tosses to Mixon and Dell in the first half, he came out of halftime and thew a 10-yard score to Stefon Diggs, which broke open a close game.

But the game never seemed completely out of reach for the Patriots (1-5), thanks to quarterback Drake Maye. Making his first NFL start with critics questioning the timing of Jerod Mayo’s move, the rookie threw three touchdown passes of his own, one more than Jacoby Brissett threw in five combined games. Selected third overall in April’s draft, Maye became the highest-drafted Patriots quarterback to start a game since Drew Bledsoe on Sept. 5, 1993.

Maye threw his first NFL touchdown pass late in the first half, a perfectly placed 40-yard toss that hit Kayshon Boutte in stride. On the play, Maye beat another No. 3 overall selection, Houston cornerback Derek Stingley, who had blanket coverage on Boutte.

But on New England’s first series after halftime, Danielle Hunter sacked Maye and forced a fumble. Mario Edwards recovered to set up Stroud’s touchdown pass to Diggs. Houston recovered another fumble on the Patriots’ next series to set up a field goal that extended the Texans’ lead to 27-7.

Maye finished 20 of 33 for 233 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, and led the team with 38 rushing yards on five carries. Houston sacked him four times.

The Texans go back on the road next week in a showdown at Lambeau Field against the Packers (3-2), who blew out Arizona on Sunday.