FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (WCMH) – C.J. Stroud completed his first competitive pass in the National Football League. The rest of his brief stint in the Houston Texans’ first preseason game was a grind.

Stroud, the ex-Ohio State star and two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, completed two of four passes for 13 yards, threw an interception, rushed twice for six yards and was sacked once against the New England Patriots.

Stroud, selected second overall by the Texans in the 2023 NFL Draft, completed an eight-yard pass to Nico Collins on the team’s first play from scrimmage. He was then sacked for a 15-yard loss, scrambled for a four-yard gain, and then threw an interception to Jalen Mills, who easily stepped in front of Stroud’s third-and-21 throw to Tank Bell.

The Houston quarterback competition consists of Stroud and Davis Mills, who completed nine-of-12 passes for 99 yards, including a touchdown pass to Dell. Case Keenum also threw a TD pass for Houston, which beat New England 20-9.

Former Buckeye Cameron Johnston had four punts for the Texans all land inside New England’s 20-yard line, including one for 58 yards, and ex-OSU cornerback Shaun Wade made three tackles for the Patriots defense.