A short week and a rookie quarterback were no issue for the New England Patriots, who rode a dominant all-around performance and a turnover-free start from Jacoby Brissett to beat the Houston Texans on Thursday night.
Here are five takeaways from New England’s 27-0 win over Houston:
1. Patriots pull off the impossible
Head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had exactly four days to prepare a game plan around Jacoby Brissett and ready the rookie quarterback within that plan. Brissett certainly didn’t light the world on fire Thursday night—he completed only 11 passes for 103 yards, with 48 rushing yards and a touchdown—but the Patriots still managed to score 27 points and avoid any game-changing turnovers. Belichick and McDaniels pounded the Texans’ dominant front seven from start to finish, rushing 39 times for 185 yards and three scores. The 27-0 final was a showcase of the Patriots simply out-coaching an opponent. Belichick can now add another improbable win to his untouchable legacy, while McDaniels is a step closer to getting a (well-deserved) second shot at being an NFL head coach.
2. New England shines on special teams
The Patriots won against the odds in large part due to special teams. New England forced and recovered two fumbles on kickoff returns (leading to two Patriots touchdowns), Jeff Allen landed six of his seven punts inside the 20-yard line (including four inside the 10) and Stephen Gostkowski made all five of his kick attempts (two field goals, three extra points). How do you win big with a rookie quarterback making his first career start on four days of prep? Playing perfect special teams is a good place to start, and the Patriots were close to perfect on Thursday night.
3. Patriots LB was the best player on the field
Jamie Collins was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro selection last year, but you get the sense he’s still vastly underrated to the casual football fan. That should be no more after Thursday night. New England’s shutout win was a highlight reel of Collins’ immense linebacking ability. He intercepted Brock Osweiler in the first half and tallied 14 total tackles, with most serving to stop Lamar Miller in the run game or shut down Osweiler’s preferred check down options. Few linebackers in the game are as comfortable playing the run and pass as Collins, who probably won over some new fans with his dominance on Thursday night.
4. Pathetic performance from the Texans
Take no credit away from the Patriots, but the Texans were downright awful in what should have been a statement game for the franchise. While Houston’s two fumbles on special teams might have handed the Patriots 14 points, Brock Osweiler’s stagnant offense gained only 284 yards and failed to advance into the red zone. In fact, it was deep into the third quarter before the Houston offense ran a play inside New England territory. The Texans defense wasn’t without blame, especially after sacking Jacoby Brissett just once and allowing almost 200 rushing yards. Mix a terrible quarterback performance from Osweiler (4.8 yards per attempt on 41 attempts) with costly turnovers on special teams and a leaky run defense, and you get Thursday night’s result. What a disappointing mess for the Texans.
5. 4-0 start is possible for Patriots
Incredibly, the Patriots will have a golden opportunity to start 4-0 without Tom Brady. The first three wins were special enough, but playing on Thursday night will now give New England 10 full days to prepare for a Week 4 showdown with the Buffalo Bills. A perfect start is well within reach, regardless of how improbable it once seemed. Few saw the Patriots going into Arizona and beating the Cardinals with Jimmy Garoppolo making his first career start. Even fewer envisioned New England beating up on the previously unbeaten Texans with Jacoby Brissett making his first career start. It takes a special team to overcome the kind of obstacles placed in front the Patriots to start the 2016 season. They’ve answered every call, and now a team that won big with four days of prep will have 10 to get ready for the last hurdle before Brady’s triumphant return.
