Houston @ New England preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 24, 2017 ) Houston 33, New England 36

One quarterback is coming back from a rare defeat on the NFL's grandest stage while another is returning from an injury that derailed a promising rookie campaign. Three-time NFL Most Valuable Player Tom Brady enters his 19th season when the New England Patriots host Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans in a season-opening matchup on Sunday afternoon.

Brady turned 41 last month and came out on the short end of a 41-33 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII, but he led the league in passing yards in 2017 en route to winning his third MVP trophy. "I think the last eight years of my career have been better than my first 10, so I should just prolong it, and that’s what I’m trying to do," Brady said on the final installment of his Facebook Watch documentary series "Tom Vs. Time." While New England has undergone myriad changes in the offseason, the Texans welcome back to two of their best players from injury -- Watson and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, who missed the final 11 games a year ago due to a broken leg. Houston head coach Bill O'Brien and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel were both on the staff of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, but the Texans have lost seven in a row (playoffs included) to New England, including a last-minute 36-33 setback at Gillette Stadium in September 2017.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Patriots -6.5. O/U: 50.5

ABOUT THE TEXANS (2017: 4-12, 4TH IN AFC SOUTH): Hopes are high in Houston after Watson showed what could have been during an abbreviated rookie season, including an electrifying stretch in which the Texans amassed 162 points in a four-game span. Watson threw for 19 touchdowns and six interceptions in seven games (six starts) and his favorite target was DeAndre Hopkins, who piled up 1,378 yards and led the league with 13 touchdowns on 96 receptions. Running back Lamar Miller dipped to 888 yards rushing in 2017 after eclipsing 1,000 the previous season, but the other big reason for optimism is a defense that welcomes back a healthy Watt and linebacker Whitney Mercilus to go along with former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. Watt registered 74.5 sacks in his first five seasons before injuries limited him to a combined eight games over the past two years.

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (13-3, 1ST IN AFC EAST): The one constant for New England remains Brady, who threw for 32 touchdown passes and a league-leading 4,577 yards last season but will guide an offense that lost its leading rusher and its two top wide receivers. Brady still has behemoth tight end Rob Gronkowski, who posted team highs with 69 receptions, 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns last season, while Chris Hogan supplants Brandin Cooks as the No. 1 wideout. Rex Burkhead and James White are the holdovers in the backfield along with free agent signee Jeremy Hill and rookie Sony Michel, the second of the team's first-round draft picks. New England's defense, which ranked 29th in yards allowed per game (366.0) but minimized the damage to an average of 18.4 points, will be boosted by the return of linebacker Dont’a Hightower after he played in only five games last season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Brady has 13 TD passes and one pick in his last four games versus Houston, including five scoring passes last season.

2. Clowney set a career high with 9.5 sacks and was second in the league with 21 tackles for loss last season.

3. New England had won eight straight home openers until losing to Kansas City in 2017.

PREDICTION: Patriots 27, Texans 23