1. Gronk gone sucks. Just really sucks.
2. The Pats didn't play anywhere near what they are capable of, but still handled the Texans fairly handily. That's fine by me. I don't want them peaking yet. There's plenty of room for improvement and things to work on, plenty of humble pie to be served up.
3. Shane Vereen came up big today. He finally showed what I've been expecting to see form him since April 2011. His 33 yard TD reception in particular was perfection, and showcased his receiving skills. Ridley and Vereen had 219 yards from scrimmage and 3 TDs - this team has the depth to weather the loss of a Gronk, even though it hurts.
4. ST coverage obviously was a big issue, and will be a huge focus for next week, especially with the dangerous Jacoby Jones.
5. The game shouldn't have been as "close" as it was, except for some very questionable calls, even by NFL ref standards. Embarrasing. Ridiculous, in some cases.