FOXBOROUGH http://www.washingtonredskinsteamonline.com/paul-richardson-jersey , Mass. (AP) — One of the biggest questions for the Patriots entering the season was how their defense would look following a series of offseason tweaks.

While the defense certainly had some miscues during New England’s 27-20 victory over Houston on Sunday , it may not be the unit looking to make the most improvement heading into Week 2.

That task probably belongs to special teams, which had several mistakes that allowed the Texans to stay within striking distance for most of the game.

Special teams has been one of the Patriots’ most stable area the past few seasons. But against Houston the unit showed cracks in both kickoff coverage and punt return. Improvement will be key with a tough road matchup at Jacksonville up next.

Last season, the Patriots allowed opponents just 18.9 yards per kickoff return, the third-best mark in the NFL.

That meant nothing to Houston’s Tyler Ervin, who found all kinds of seams in New England’s kickoff coverage. He finished the game with 156 kickoff return yards on five returns (31.2 avg.), including a game-long 36-yard return.

The 156 return yards are the most ever by a Texans player in a season opener.

“I thought there were a lot of areas that we did well in, a lot of areas that we need to work on and a lot of areas that we can improve,” coach Bill Belichick said when asked about the mishaps on kickoffs.

Special teams captain Matt Slater said he didn’t think the new kickoff rules aimed at improving safety were to blame for their deficiencies.

“I think it was more about what we didn’t do,” he said. “Some of the things that we’re coached to do we just didn’t go out there and do them. … It plays differently, obviously there’s no wedges. Schemes have changed a little bit. But hopefully it’s something we can fix.”

New England’s punt team wasn’t exempt from mistakes, either.

With under five minutes left in the game, Riley McCarron fumbled a punt to set up Deshaun Watson’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Bruce Ellington that got the Texans within seven.

“I made a stupid play,” McCarron said. “I should have handled the ball; it is as simple as that. I did not make the decision on a fair catch Kevin Hogan Jersey , obviously, but I know the one I should have made now.”

McCarron was released by the team on Monday.

It wasn’t all bad for the special teams.

Before he suffered a right knee injury in the third quarter, running back Jeremy Hill partially blocked a punt by Houston’s Trevor Daniel.

And some late execution by the Patriots’ punt coverage team helped put a slight happy face on an otherwise lackluster day.

The play came via punter Ryan Allen, who dropped a 54-yard punt inside the Houston 5, which was downed by Jonathan Jones on the 1 with 43 seconds remaining. It forced the Texans to speed up on offense and they moved the ball to only their 43 by game’s end.

Slater said both Hill’s block and Allen’s punt were shown a lot in Monday’s film session. Still, there was little celebrating.

“The hits keep coming,” Slater said. “This will be a tough team this week and we gotta be on top of our game and certainly try to execute better.”

NOTES: The team placed running back Jeremy Hill on injured reserve. Hill’s 2017 season with Cincinnati ended after seven games, when he had right ankle surgery. … Hill entered the season third on the running back depth chart behind James White and Rex Burkhead and was expected to contribute primarily on special teams. … The team also released wide receiver Chad Hansen.

Trumaine Johnson sees a lot of the tantalizing potential of his old team in his new squad.

The New York Jets cornerback, who helped the Los Angeles Rams reach the playoffs last season, was feeling predictably optimistic as he and his teammates reported to the team's facility Thursday for the start of training camp.

"You've got to have faith," Johnson said. "Just bringing that winning culture from where I was last year, I can see it. I really can. Just got to wait and see."

Johnson was the Jets' biggest free-agent acquisition this offseason, signing a five-year, $72.5 million deal in March that included a $20 million signing bonus and $34 million in guaranteed money. That came after the cornerback spent his first six NFL seasons with the Rams Peyton Manning Jersey , who went 11-5 and snapped a 13-year postseason drought with Johnson a key part of the defense.

He'll be the No. 1 cornerback in coach Todd Bowles' unit in New York, which hasn't been to the playoffs since the 2010 season. Johnson saw signs from afar that the postseason absence might not last much longer, particularly because seven of New York's 11 losses last season were by 9 points or less.

"I was watching them," he said. "They were losing close games and they beat some playoff teams. They've got all the potential in the world to be a playoff team."

Most NFL teams feel the same at this point in the year, brimming with confidence before the dog days of camp start kicking in, with expectations for some becoming increasingly more tempered.

But the Jets like the approach the players are taking at the start.

"I can see the atmosphere has changed and the season could be great," guard Brian Winters said. "As far as attitudes, we've got great attitudes in the locker room. That vibe's a lot better than in the past."

New York is coming off its second straight 5-11 season under Bowles, who helped establish an improved environment around the team last year despite the losses.

The positive outlooks might be attributed in large part to moves general manager Mike Maccagnan made in the offseason. Along with Johnson, the Jets signed a number of free agents who could play major roles this year, including linebacker Avery Williamson, running back Isaiah Crowell, wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, center Spencer Long and kicker Cairo Santos.

"I think it was a good start http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/jabaal-sheard-jersey ," wide receiver Jermaine Kearse said of last season. "This year, it's about winning games. You want to be competitive, and that's important, but in this league, it's about winning games and being productive in that area. For us to take the next big step is to be able to finish games."

All eyes this summer, however, will be on the quarterbacks as 39-year-old veteran Josh McCown, comeback kid Teddy Bridgewater and first-round pick Sam Darnold all compete to be the guy leading the huddle in Week 1 of the regular season.

"I think it pushes each one of them individually," defensive end Leonard Williams said. "I'd be happy if any one of them were the starter for the season."

McCown is the incumbent and Bowles has said he will open camp as the starter while taking the bulk of the first-team snaps. But Bridgewater, signed in March after four seasons in Minnesota, could give McCown a run if he's fully recovered from the severe knee injury that cost him the bulk of the last two years.

Then, of course, there's Darnold.

The No. 3 overall pick in the draft is considered by many to be the future face of the franchise. And that future could be now. Darnold will be given every opportunity to beat out both McCown and Bridgewater for the job, and he showed positive strides in offseason workouts and minicamp.

"I thought Sam got better each day throughout OTAs Brett Maher Jersey ," Kearse said. "And I have no doubt that he'll have the same attitude and same mindset he had in OTAs coming into camp."

Darnold just needs to get to camp first.

The rookie hadn't reported with the rest of his teammates as of early Thursday afternoon as his agents and the Jets worked through the final details of his contract. There didn't appear to be much concern on either side, though, with most expecting Darnold to be signed and ready to participate in the team's first practice Friday afternoon.

That's when the road to potential success begins for the Jets, and nose tackle Steve McLendon believes it comes down to three things for him and his teammates.

"No. 1, it's being focused," he said. "No. 2, it's being driven. And, No. 3, you understand you only have one life."

NOTES: Long, coming off knee and quadriceps injuries last season with Washington, said his quad is doing "great" and knees are "feeling better than they have the last few years." He added that he might be eased into practices, depending on how the training staff wants to approach it.

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