The NFL is back, sort of. Last week's Hall of Fame Game unofficially kicked off the 2023 preseason, and many casual fans won't consider exhibition action "real" football anyway. However, the first full week of NFL games since last year's playoffs kicked off on Thursday.
The Houston Texans and New England Patriots opened Week 1 of the preseason with an expectedly sloppy 20-9 game that didn't feature either team's full complement of starters.
Of course, the preseason isn't about the final score or which stars are seeing early action. It's about seeing rookies for the first time, checking out old faces in new places (or positions), tracking scheme changes and getting a look at back-end-of-the-roster players battling to make the team.