Wednesday night brought the first game of the Week 1 NFL preseason action. The Carolina Panthers hosted the Houston Texans in Charlotte, with rookie Deshaun Watson getting to play the bulk of the game. In addition to that, Carolina's backup quarterback helped lead the team to a 27-17 win which brought smiles from Cam Newton and the Carolina sidelines. Here's the latest NFL preseason game recap including top performers, stats, and what's up next for the two teams.

NFL game recap

With former NFL MVP Cam Newton watching from the sidelines, backup quarterback Joe Webb helped lead the Carolina Panthers' offense.

Webb had the bulk of the action in tonight's game, splits amongst he, Derek Anderson and Garrett Gilbert. For the game, Webb had 7-of-14 completed passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns with just one pick. His top target and player of the game for the Panthers after the win was Damiere Byrd. The Carolina receiver had four receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns in Wednesday's win. Kelvin Benjamin also caught a touchdown pass and had 40 yards.

The Houston Texans also used three quarterbacks on the field during the game but their rookie got the majority of time in the spotlight.

Deshaun Watson had plenty of support from fans in Clemson orange in the stands and finished with 179 yards on 15-of-25 completed passes. Watson also had a rushing touchdown in the game showing his offensive skills. Alfred Blue ran in the team's only other touchdown in the game, while each team also added a field goal at one point.

Carolina's rookie receiver Christian McCaffrey didn't have much time on the field and had just one target. He finished with zeros across the board on his stat line for the night.

Greg Olsen got in the action for a bit with two targets and one reception for 32 yards. Houston's DeAndre Hopkins was also out there for his team with two targets and two receptions for just 15 yards total.

What's up next

It's only the NFL preseason, but the win puts the Carolina Panthers at 1-0 with three more games to play. Their next matchup comes on Saturday, August 19th when they visit the Tennessee Titans for a 3 p.m. Eastern Time game on NFL Network.

The Houston Texans are 0-1 as they embark on their NFL preseason. They go from playing the Panthers to a home game where they'll host the New England Patriots. It's unlikely that Tom Brady or other key personnel will be on the field for this one. Game time is set for 8 p.m. Eastern Time next Saturday.