In what ended up being a shutout, the New England Patriots knocked off the Houston Texans 27 to 0 on Thursday night to stay undefeated at 3 and 0.
Jacoby Brissett only threw for 103 yards through the air, but the Patriots implemented a ground game that left Houston in the dust. LeGarrette Blount rushed for 105 yards as well as two touchdowns, while Brissett was able to run in one himself, with the Patriots scoring 27 unanswered points against J.J. Watt and Houston’s defense.
Brock Osweiler was only able to complete 24 out of 41 attempted passes for 196 yards, and also threw an interception. Houston fumbled the ball twice on special teams, giving New England a short field that allowed them to increase a lead that the Texans were not able to recover from.
What it Means
No matter the result of week four against the Bills, the Patriots will be the solely in first place when Tom Brady returns in week five against the Browns. Considering most imagined 2 and 2 was the best the Patriots would do in his absence, 3 and 0 must be a good feeling for the team.
It was reported that Brissett injured his thumb against the Texans and may or may not be available against the Bills. After accouning Jimmy Garopollo wasn’t playing in last week’s game only at the last minute, assume the Patriots will keep under wraps who’s actually playing until kick off.
Although it seems Houston imploded on Thursday night, the team is still number one in the AFC south. Lamar Miller had an okay game with 80 yards on the ground, and so did DeAndre Hopkins with 56 reception yards. It was Will Fuller, who was leading all rookie receivers in yards prior to this game, who struggled most. 3 receptions for 31 yards will not help Houston win tight games down the line.
Stat of the Game
Houston had more first downs (19 to 15), better third down efficiency (40% to 28%), and longer time of possession (31:22 to 28:38), yet still could not score at all against the Patriots. Houston will have to work on finishing drives if they want to play in the postseason.
Unsung Hero
Did you see Jamie Collins? That man was all over the field on Thursday. 8 tackles, 6 assists, and one interception; incredible performance.
Noteworthy
As mentioned previously, Brissett injured his thumb in the Patriots last game and Garoppolo injured his shoulder in week two against Miami. With the Patriots not signing a quarterback at the beginning of week four, it seems possible that one of them or even both men will be able to suit up on Sunday. That, or the Patriots have a lot of confidence in Julian Edelman.
Rob Gronkowski made his season debut, but didn’t play much. He was only targeted once on the two plays he ran out to receive, and did not record a reception.
What’s Next
The Patriots will play there third home game in a row against the AFC East Rival Buffalo Bills at 1 PM Eastern Standard time. The game will be available locally on your CBS affiliate or streamed live online on NFL Sunday Ticket.
