Official Texans @ Patriots Game Thread, 9/22/2016
 

The Texans play their first road game of the year on a trip to Foxboro, MA to play the New England Patriots in a Thursday Night Football game. The matchup pits two 2-0 teams and can be seen on CBS and the NFLN.

The Texans are coming off a 19-12 home win over the KC Chiefs. The Patriots are coming off a 31-24 home win over the Miami Dolphins. These two teams met last year in Week 14 with New England defeating the Brian Hoyer led Texans 27-6 at NRG stadium.

The Patriots are expected to start rookie Jacoby Brissett at QB although Jimmy Garoppolo is reported to have participated in recent walk-through drills.

The betting line has been jumping all over the place the last couple of days going from Texans -3 to Pickem.

--------------------------------------------------------------

TV = CBS (channel 11 local) & NFLN, Thursday, 7:25 pm, Sept. 22

Announcers = Jim Nantz, Phil Simms

The line = (currently) Pickem

--------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday viewing in the Houston area:

CBS (early) = Denver @ Cincinnati, Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

FOX (early) = Washington @ NY Giants, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

CBS (late) = San Diego @ Indianapolis, Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon

---------------------------------------------------------------

Other Prime time:

SNF = Chicago @ Dallas (NBC)

MNF = Atlanta @ New Orleans (ESPN)

We have the stars aligned just right - Brady suspended, third-string QB on a short week, Gronk still questionable...

If ever there was a time to win in Fuxboro, it's now. C'mon Texans. Keep the Perfect Season Train rolling.

Texans are starting to show up #6 and #7 in some of the power rankings:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nfl/rankings/

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/powerrankings/

Been a while since they've been rated that high. Of course, that'll all go down the tubes if they lose in New England....

------------------------------------------------

Edelman reportedly seeing extensive work as backup QB......

------------------------------------------------

Video - An explanation for the crazy line movement....

Recommend go to 3:30 mark for about 1:15 (4:45) and then jump to 7:40 for a breakdown of the game.

BFG (Big F****** Game). Might be the biggest game of the year... Who else could it be? Denver? Green Bay? Indy twice? Cincy?

4 hrs. to go....

Pats win the toss and defer. Texans to receive.

Kickoff is a touchback. Texan's ball at the 25.

----------------------------------------------

L Miller for 9.

L Miller loses 2. 3rd and 3 coming up.

Flat pass to Hop gets 14 and the 1st down.

L Miller for maybe 2.

Pass to Anderson off his hands, inc. Brings up 3rd and 8.

Sheard sacks Oz. Texans will have to punt.

Catch interference on James III on the punt. Refs place the ball at the Pat 31. Pat's ball.

12:16 left in the 1st qtr.

Blount for no gain.

Short pass to Edelman goes for 6. 3rd and 4 coming up.

Deep pass to Hogan too long, inc. Pats have to punt.

Ervin fair catches at the Texan 11. Texan's ball.

This OL is just about to piss me the fk off.

L Miller for 2.

L Miller for 7.

Good spot on the L Miller run gives the Texans the 1st down.

Texans use a timeout. ???

Pass to Fuller complete at the 39 yard line of the Texans. 1st down.

L Miller for 2.

Short pass to L Miller off the mark, inc. Brings up 3rd and 8.

Jeez, handoff to L Miller gets about 6. Texans will have to punt.

Punt goes into the end zone, touchback. Pat's ball at their 25.

6:59 left in the 1st qtr.

Obviously the 3rd and 8 handoff means O'Brien is determined to not lose this game with our offense when they can't do anything to our defense. I am not sure if that is really smart or really stupid.

Pass to Bennett gets 5.

Blount for no gain. 3rd and 5 coming up.

Deep pass out of bounds, inc but a flag is down. PI on JJo. 1st down at the Pat 37.

Brissett scrambles for 13 up the middle. Ball at midfield.

WR flat pass goes for 5.

Blount gets 3. 3rd and 1 coming up.

Pass to Mitchell goes to the Texan 15.

Blount for 5.

Sweep play to Edelman gets about 4. 3rd and 1 coming up.

Pass to Gronk in the end zone over his head, inc. Pat's to go for the FG.

Gostkowski's 24-yarder is good.

Pats 3, Texans 0

2:07 left in the 1st qtr.

Ok, I take back everything I ever said about it. This is still the most supremely idiotic special teams unit in the history of the NFL. Unreal.

Why the hell is Charles James returning kicks?

Great game to make the change on...

Charles James is trying to distinguish himself for stupidity in a long history of Houston Texans ST stupid.

And on this fumble overturn, I guess it doesn't matter that there were clearly whistles way before the recovery.

James II brings the kickoff back and fumbles. Initially ruled Texans ball. Belichick challenges and it doesn't look good....

Refs rule Pat's ball.

--------------------------------------------

Ball at the Texan 22.

Flags presnap. False start Pats makes it 1st and 15.

Brissett keeps it and takes it all the way in for the TD.

Pats 10, Texans 0

1:54 left in the 1st qtr.

Awesome. Now losing this game is a total team effort, Offense, Defense, and ST.

I bet Obrien is rethinking that ****************in run on 3rd and 8...

This is fking disgusting but totally predictable given the Mariana Trench of stupid that is the Houston Texans and all things Texas, for that matter.

If you're going to run the ball on 3rd and 8 on your own 40 then WHY THE FCK would you trade first down on the 25 for Charles James the turd running the ball out of the end zone?

Incredible stupidity that I would have to reach back a ways to try to match.

Goddamn it this franchise is a joke.

Texans (and coaching staff) seem too puckered up to play competitive...

-------------------------------------------

Ervin fields the ensuing kickoff and downs it, touchback. Texan's ball at their 25.

-------------------------------------------

L Miller for 2.

Pass to Hop too high, inc. Brings up 3rd and 8.

A really nice catch by Hop gets the 1st down at the Texan 40.

L Miller sweeps right and loses 2.

Pass to Fuller over the middle gets 7. 3rd and 5 coming up.

End of the 1st qtr.

Hey guys, I've got an idea! Let's run on first down!

LOL. Texans going to once again get embarrassed on national TV. This time by an injured team with a rookie 3rd string QB. I'd say unbelievable, but hey, it's a Houston team.

Our Oline is trash...NE knows that...they are pressing underneath with deep safety help over the top. This should essentially create more run lanes...BUT NOT

This has all the makings of an OL fashioned beat down...

Miller is no young(er) Arian Foster.

On 3rd and 5 at their own 45, handoff to L Miller gets 5 (thanks for the spot, ref). Ball at midfield.

Dump off to Miller gets 6 but flag is down. Illegal formation on the Texans makes it 1st and 15.

Oz throws the INT. Pats bring it back to the Texan 43.

Blount for no gain. 2nd and 10 coming up.

Brissett scrambles up the middle for 3. 3rd and 7 coming up.

McKinney with the sack! Pats will have to punt.

Ervin fair catches the punt at the Texan 10 yard line. Texan's ball.

1 time is random
Twice is a coincidence
3 times is the making of a trend...

I'm referring to our dumb ass early interceptions

Our offense so far amounts to worthless Lamar Miller runs, and really difficult Hopkins catches. At least go play action if you are going to run 2 out of 3 times.

L Miller for no gain.

Pass to Hop gets about 12 and the 1st down.

Dump off to L Miller gets 9.

L Miller rushes for 6 and the 1st down.

Pass to Hop off the mark, inc. 2nd and 10 coming up.

Grimes for about 2. 3rd and 8 coming up.

Pass towards Griffin too long, inc. Texans to punt.

Punt is fumbled on the runback but Pats recover it. Pat's ball at their 25.

8:11 left in the half.

I honestly do not have any idea what they are trying to do.

This press coverage that NE is playing is a punch in the face...they know you can't run it on their front 7...

There really is something there to Os staring down receivers and not going through progressions. Very noticeable this game. Not good.

Sorry, at hotel bar in CA... Who the hell challeged that?!? If it's OB, WTF??!! NE recovered the ball.

No, he's not. The OL is a disaster so it is difficult for me to start singling him out but he does not seem to have the burst, the vision or the elusiveness that you'd look for in a feature back. Which is annoying because he was pretty goddamn elusive last October.

The guy is in his 10th career start. He is far from a finished product and there is no guarantee he'll ever be one. We knew that's what we were getting. Hopefully it improves over the year.

Larry Izzo, Double Agent?

OB is challenging the punt return that the returner was down before he fumbled (will push'em back 7 or 8 yards if successful)....

Refs change it. Runner down at the 18. Pat's ball.

Pass to Mitchell off the mark, inc. Brings up 2nd and 10.

Flags presnap. False start Pats, -5.

On 2nd and 15, White gets maybe 1. 3rd down 14 coming up.

Pass to Amedola gets 16 and the 1st down.

Bennett for 6 on the end around.

Blount for 1 or 2. Brings up 3rd and 3.

Blount gets 1. Brings up 4th down and the Pats will have to punt.

Ervin fair catches at the Texan 11. Texan's ball.

4:53 left in the half.

Well, I hope you're right or this was a colossal mistake.

One things for certain we will find out tonight what type of QB Brock is tonight...

I could be right and it could be a colossal mistake. I didn't like the signing and would have preferred a rookie. I thought it was an absurd amount to pay a guy with 7 average starts.

But my point in this post was we don't know what he is as a QB yet, and everyone does stuff like that in their first year as a starting QB.

Hopkins had a fantastic block on the Lamar Miller 1st down run. He is just an absolute stud.