Official Texans @ Patriots Game Thread, 9/24/2017

[Arky]

Run it down their throats, fellas.....

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Pass to Griffin gets 13 or so but PI on Griffin backs it up. 1st and 20 coming up.

Watson goes Houdini and passes to Foreman for a big gain! Penalty on the Pats for holding is declined.... Ball at the Patriot 46.

L Miller for 1.

Pass to Ellington gets nice gain, 18 yards, 1st down.

L Miller for 6. Ball at the Patriot 21.

On 2nd and 4, L Miller gets 3. 3rd and 1 coming up.

L Miller for no gain. Pats use timeout #2. Texans to go for the FG.

Fairbairn's 36-yarder is good.

Texans 33, Pats 28

2:24 left in the game.

[Arky]

The ensuing kickoff is a touchback. Pat's ball at their 25.

DEfenSe!

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Pass over the middle is broken up by Hal, inc. Hal shaken up on the play.

On 2nd and 10, pass to Cooks is broken up, but flag on the Pats for holding....-10 yards. Makes it 2nd and 20 coming up.

Pass over the middle to Gronk is good for 8. 3rd and 12 coming up.

2 minute warning.

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On 3rd and 12, pass to Gronk goes for 15 and the 1st down.

Pass to Cooks gets 18.

Brady stripped by Gilchrist! Still Pats ball.

Dang Cory Moore. Had the deep INT but lost it. Still Pats ball. 3rd and 18 coming up.

Texans use a timeout with 54 seconds left in the game.

Pass to Amendola goes to the Texan 25.

Pass to Cooks in the end zone goes for the TD.

Play is under review..... It will surely stand in New England...

Play stands, Pats going for 2.

Brady hits Cooks for the 2-point conversion.

Pats 36, Texans 33

23 seconds left in the game.

[Arky]

The ensuing kickoff is a touchback. Texan's ball at their 25.

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Pass to Hopkins gets 21. 3 seconds left in the game.

Hail Mary is INT'ed by the Pats in the end zone.

Final score:

Pats 36, Texans 33

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Well, shoot. Teasingly close loss.

[chuck]

What a bunch of goddamned retards.

[barrett]

I've been pretty negative the last year or so. And there was enough to complain about if I wanted to, but that was a heck of an effort by the Texans.

We looked like an NFL offense for once. Our terrible WRs other than Hopkins looked competent with a competent QB. Our patchwork OL even looked competent when the defense had to deal with a little fear and uncertainty. Our defense was not the 85' Bears, but that's 59 really good minutes against Tom Brady in Foxboro. The sack where Watt and Clowney converged from opposite sides and Mercilous came late up the middle was a thing of beauty.

But this is the NFL and it's a QB league, and for the first time in 5 years we didn't look like we brought a knife to a gun fight. We looked like we were trying to win games instead of trying to steal them. Watson did incredible things and he did them all without taking much punishment. His scariest moment was a non-contact cut he made. He did enough with his arm, mind, and legs to show a ceiling much higher than any Texans QB ever. The play he made to Foreman was amazing and there haven't been a dozen guys in NFL history that could have done that.

Losing a week 3 game in Foxboro won't hurt us (although it would have made up for the week 1 embarrassment). And for the first time ever I actually think we could go win that game 4 months from now in the playoffs.

[Arky]

Early line for next week has the Titans favored by 2½.

Get some sunglasses because the future looks bright......

[chuck]

I thought Deshaun was incredible. The first touchdown throw I said Touchdown! just as he released it. Although you could see a very small part of the field, it was just blindingly obvious that he saw someone open and that he was throwing it to the end zone. By the way, how typical is it that the team has thrown all sorts of picks at the WR position and the best receiver on the team not named Deandre is a guy they signed off the street?

Despite some egregious clock management issues and some typically terrible play calling, I thought the game plan was more or less exactly what it needed to be. Play action worked great, the roll outs were great and I'd like to see more of them, you can do a lot with the split back sets and I'd like to see them use that formation more both for pass protection and for rushing plays. Other than the first possession we didn't see much running towards the sideline, and I think with Watson's legs you can use an option pitch out of the split back set to great effect once or twice a game.

In a similar concept to isn't it amazing how much smarter your father gets as you go from 17 to 25, isn't it amazing how much better the OL gets when you employ a decent game plan? Sure NE's front seven is at best nothing special, but still.

The bad news is the team's secondary is horrific. The good news is most teams don't have Tom Brady to exploit it.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by chuck

I thought Deshaun was incredible. The first touchdown throw I said Touchdown! just as he released it. Although you could see a very small part of the field, it was just blindingly obvious that he saw someone open and that he was throwing it to the end zone. By the way, how typical is it that the team has thrown all sorts of picks at the WR position and the best receiver on the team not named Deandre is a guy they signed off the street?

Despite some egregious clock management issues and some typically terrible play calling, I thought the game plan was more or less exactly what it needed to be. Play action worked great, the roll outs were great and I'd like to see more of them, you can do a lot with the split back sets and I'd like to see them use that formation more both for pass protection and for rushing plays. Other than the first possession we didn't see much running towards the sideline, and I think with Watson's legs you can use an option pitch out of the split back set to great effect once or twice a game.

In a similar concept to isn't it amazing how much smarter your father gets as you go from 17 to 25, isn't it amazing how much better the OL gets when you employ a decent game plan? Sure NE's front seven is at best nothing special, but still.

The bad news is the team's secondary is horrific. The good news is most teams don't have Tom Brady to exploit it.

I almost think Kareem Jackson should skip safety and move straight to LB. The guy is an amazing tackler. He made a beautiful tackle on a wide run that made me shout for joy, and then like 2 plays later he was called for holding. The past 2 weeks I've seen him up near the LOS so often and he's been awesome. But he still can't find the ball when it's in the air if his life depends on it. Make him a Nickle ILB like they used to do with Glover Quinn.

And yes, Watson is very talented. It's almost as if the QBs drafted early in the draft are more talented than if you sign an unwanted veteran backup.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by chuck

some typically terrible play calling

There of course was some typically terrible playcalling. That series in the middle of the 4th quarter with three straight pass plays, at a time when it was unseasonably warm and the Pats D was gassed, at a time when the Texans finally had a late lead and you knew you didn't want to give Brady extra time, just inexcusable. Keep pounding with Foreman.

Honestly, I was pleasantly shocked until then at how the offensive playcalling was going. It accentuated Watson's talent. I really never thought O'Brien would open it up as much as he did in - gasp - the rookie's second start. As Watson's downfield accuracy improves, he will really elevate this team. It made everything look better on Sunday, from the OL to the running game.

But yes, some typically terrible playcalling might have cost the Texans the opportunity from winning.