Jeff Howe:Texans defense offers significant challenge for Patriots

[SVN]

Texans defense offers significant challenge for Patriots

 

[varjao]

No they don't, if Brisset that is the 3rd QB scored 27 points, by logic Brady will score at least 81 points.

Seriously now, if Solder gets to have an off day, Clowney can present problems, but they way our line is playing and with all the guys involved, Lewis, White, Blount, the receivers, Bennet, it's just too many weapons, they can't answer that.

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

Lol, this should be labled under one of those "try not to laugh" challenges.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

No they don't, if Brisset that is the 3rd QB scored 27 points, by logic Brady will score at least 81 points.

Seriously now, if Solder gets to have an off day, Clowney can present problems, but they way our line is playing and with all the guys involved, Lewis, White, Blount, the receivers, Bennet, it's just too many weapons, they can't answer that.

I hear you, but that game was way back in September. They have a very good secondary. If their DBs lock down our receivers, I could see a bunch of coverage sacks. It will be up to Edelman, Mitchell, Hogan, Bennett, Amendola, and Floyd to find openings. I wouldn't call the Texans defense a "significant challenge" - I would just call them a "challenge."

 

[RobertWeathers]

I don't think there is a debate on whether or not HOU has a good defense. It is good.

I think the debate is with regard to how difficult it can make life for the NEP offense.

With that said they have a decent pass rush, decent cover guys, LBs that can move around and an experienced DC and HC that knows this system.

I think they'll be a few series that HOU stops NE.

But it won't be enough.

Its strange that they allow 25ppg on the road.


31-13 34-17 or around there.

 

[bormio]

The Texans have made some good offenses struggle, but for some reason, we have generally moved the ball well on them - even last year when were so anemic with Edelman and Amendola out and Gronk limited. But the first game was a bit misleading. If I recall they handed us 14 points on turnovers and Osweiler was just awful. Those things may not happen again (Osweiler might be merely bad). If we turn the ball over, we could find ourselves playing from behind against a good defense - which is what happened in 2010. Ball security is a key for us and I am sure has been a point of emphasis for the Texans this week - get turnovers.

 

[slash83]

They looked great against a QB who didn't know what the heck he was doing, and a team that their starting pro bowl LT was out.

 

[Minitron]

Tom Brady is 7-0 in the Regular Season and 3-1 in the Playoffs against the NR.1 Defense at home. I feel pretty confident.

 

[primetime]

No they don't, if Brisset that is the 3rd QB scored 27 points, by logic Brady will score at least 81 points.

Seriously now, if Solder gets to have an off day, Clowney can present problems, but they way our line is playing and with all the guys involved, Lewis, White, Blount, the receivers, Bennet, it's just too many weapons, they can't answer that.

The Patriots started with a very short field on every scoring possession but the long Blount run thanks to turnovers. Brissett basically couldn't move the ball against them, and Blount was largely held in check until the very end.

It's a completely different game with Brady, and the Texans had Watt then, but I don't expect the Texans to fumble on kickoff returns and such, which means they'll have to score on long drives.

 

[Ross12]

I somewhat liken this to the KC game in the playoffs last year. KC had just as good a defense then as Houston has today - and NE pretty much rolled over KC without issue, despite all their injuries.

Far fewer injuries this year, and Houston's offense is not as good as KC's.

 

[patfanken]

No they don't, if Brisset that is the 3rd QB scored 27 points, by logic Brady will score at least 81 points.

Seriously now, if Solder gets to have an off day, Clowney can present problems, but they way our line is playing and with all the guys involved, Lewis, White, Blount, the receivers, Bennet, it's just too many weapons, they can't answer that.

That would seem like it....on the surface. But the Texan defense has come a long way from the 3rd game of the season, just like ours has. As far as "individual" talent goes, they have more "brand names" on their D than we have on ours. In fact accross their entire team they have more "brand names" than we do.

But there in lies the greatness of the Pats where ths SUM is always greater than the individual parts. It is always an interesting excercise to hear another teams' fan tell you what a good team the Pats are, yet ask them about the great players that make up that great team (beyond Gronk and Brady) and you get that blank look when they can't come up with any or many names. Perhaps it should be called the Patriots Parodox. Its how you get to have a universally recognized great team, yet most of the teams they beat seem to have more of the big name players. Yeah, that's right. It's the Patriot's paradox

 

[denverpatsfan]

So take the 16 points is what they are saying. If the Pats struggle against this team how are they beating the Chiefs?

 

[QuantumMechanic]

No they don't, if Brisset that is the 3rd QB scored 27 points, by logic Brady will score at least 81 points.

14 of those points were gifts on short fields after HOU special team f*ckups.

 

[bormio]

The Texans' D should not be a deciding factor in this game - but we need to start fast. Take their running game away, make Osweiler have to be the main point of their offense. If it becomes an "ugly" game, their defense is good enough to cause problems.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

One thing about this game is the matchup conversations are fairly predictable and sparse at best. It's usually coming down to how can the Texans pull off the upset.

One thing I'm confident about: the Patriots coaches and players understand what it takes to prepare a football team to win a game regardless of what people outside of the team believe. the margin for winning and losing is usually much tighter than what final scores represent.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

So take the 16 points is what they are saying. If the Pats struggle against this team how are they beating the Chiefs?

How they perform against the Texans this weekend will have zero influence or impact on how they would play the chiefs or Steelers

Every team matches up differently, each game is its own entity.. just look at 2007... Patriots beat the Giants week 17 late in the 4th quarter in what was a very high scoring game.. then a month or so later, they lose to the Giants in a very low scoring, defensive game in the Super Bowl

 

[Keyser Söze]

No they don't, if Brisset that is the 3rd QB scored 27 points, by logic Brady will score at least 81 points.

Seriously now, if Solder gets to have an off day, Clowney can present problems, but they way our line is playing and with all the guys involved, Lewis, White, Blount, the receivers, Bennet, it's just too many weapons, they can't answer that.

Brissett didn't make them fumble the kick off twice

 

[IllegalContact]

stupid f*cking moron

what's a bigger difference?
Houston: 301 yards per game
New England: 326 yards per game

OR
Houston 20.1 points per game
New England: 15.6 points per game

take into consideration how much of the pats game the defense had 'the foot off the pedal'

 

[IllegalContact]

Brissett didn't make them fumble the kick off twice

the closest the texans got to scoring was an opportunity to kick a 53 yard field goal.......that was it

fumbles don't matter, interceptions don't matter.......nothing matters if you don't even sniff the opponents red zone

 

[bormio]

To be honest, with how bad Houston's offense has been at times, 20 PPG allowed is pretty remarkable. I imagine they were on the field a lot and defending a lot of short fields.