As we get closer to the end of the season, each game takes on an even bigger meaning for teams. That is the case for tonight’s game between the New England Patriots and Houston Texans. Both enter tonight’s game in the first place of their respective divisions. The Texans just beat the Indianapolis Colts last week to secure first place in the AFC South. New England has been on top of the AFC East all year — and for the entire decade — but with the Buffalo Bills trailing close behind at 9-3, the Patriots can ill afford to suffer any setbacks.
One storyline that we won’t know more about until closer to kickoff is exactly who will be on the field for the Patriots tonight. Not only do they have wide receivers Mohammed Sanu and Phillip Dorsett recovering from injuries suffered in Week 11 but they also have an illness spreading throughout the team. In fact, it was so bad that the players who were sick were kept separate from the rest of the team when traveling down to Houston this week. Three very important defenders (Jamie Collins, Dont’a Hightower, and Kyle Van Noy) are among those who are currently listed as questionable. The boogeymen, as they call themselves, have been a critical part of New England’s historic defense. Without them, Deshaun Watson could have a much easier time dissecting Bill Belichick’s defense.
Someone who has firsthand experience dealing with the mad genius’ schemes is Texans head coach, Bill O’Brien. He spent five seasons there working as an offensive assistant (2007), wide receivers coach (2008), quarterbacks coach (2009, 2010), and offensive coordinator (2011) before leaving. Watson’s ability to make plays with his arm and his legs make him the perfect quarterback to test the limits of what Belichick’s unit can do on defense. Aiding Watson will be All-Pro wideout, DeAndre Hopkins. He’ll be shadowed most of the night by New England’s All-Pro cornerback, Stephon Gilmore — who is coming off holding Amari Cooper without a catch a week ago. The two have battled before with Hopkins having some success but not posting anything near his usual numbers. With Will Fuller and Kenny Stills also on the field, there’ll be even more pressure on Gilmore to try and contain Hopkins one-on-one.
Everyone can see that the Patriots offense isn’t business as usual for Tom Brady. They’ve gone from an embarrassment of riches for Brady to pass to, to relying on unproven rookies. Yet, Sanu and Dorsett seem on track to play and it feels like Julian Edelman was born wide-open. The main struggle has been their inability to get anything consistent out of the running game. Last week’s 101 total yards were the most since they put up 114 yards in Week 6 against the New York Giants. The offensive line has seen a lot of turnover due to injuries but at the end of the year, they are as healthy as they’ve been in a while. With J.J. Watt out and Jadeveon Clowney off in Seattle, the Texans defense isn’t as potent as it used to be. If they can’t create a pass rush to get Brady off his spots this could be the night that the offense starts clicking.
PREDICTION: Texans 31 , Patriots 20
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