On to Houston....

[TheBostonStraggler]

• No boneheaded turnovers
• No boneheaded special teams plays
• Few penalties

Agreed. Play our basic A game (not even our "A Game") and I don't believe Houston's "A Game" can overcome it.
Anything can happen and that's why the games are actually played, however, this is a very fortunate draw for the Patriots. For us to not reach the AFCCG (it should be renamed the Patriot Bowl) will be the kind of collapse that, IMHO, goes FAR beyond the Jets surprise loss several years ago. Unlike the Jets who had established some examples of both sides of the line potency, Houston has been a consistent showcase of mediocrity.

 

[luuked]

Score 20+ points and the game is over. Welcome to Foxboro.


I like how we will have a day more to recover for the AFCCG than the winner of KC/Steelers. Add in the fact that both of them will be in an intense fight against each other and whoever wins also has a travel day for the AFCCG you truly see the advantage of HFA.

 

[DarrylS]

I am old school as much as they are favored, I will be nervous as a cat by Sat nite..

The years of mediocrity for the Red Sox and Patriots still runs deep...

On any given Saturday..

 

[Minitron]

Logan Ryan has basically shut down Hopkins twice already. Earlier this year and once last year. Besides, you don't really want Ryan to have to deal with the pure speed Fuller has.

I didn't knew the matchups for the week 3 game because i couldn't watch it so thanks for the info. So if it worked they don't have to change anything.

 

[Minitron]

Just checking in to see if we are suddenly scared of Houston also

I bet there are people who are scared just because Osweiler completed 56%(omg he's gonna carve us up) of his passes against a subpar Oakland Defense.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

Not much to compare with that game aside from the starting QBs, but it's been great to see that kind of dominance against a tough opponent.

I think the current team poses a challenge with Roethlisberger, Brown, and Bell, who just today finally played their first postseason game together. No one should be "scared," though.

Yeah, but after that game we were so living in the heads of the Steelers and their fans that they should be charging us rent. Seriously, the whole organization and fan base went literally, actually insane after that one.

 

[LightSkinSmurf]

Feels great to have the easiest opponent possible for our first game. Nice warm up for the AFC championship.....................This must be what it feels like to be a homer 24/7.

 

[Observer]

Osweiler beat us in an important game before. As long as the pats play their standard mistake free game, they should win easily.

 

[everlong]

In the interesting but yet meaningless category

2001 Pats beat NFC west in SB where the NFC team has a recent SB victory
2002 AFC West plays NFC South league MVP loses the game
2003 Pats beat NFC South
2004 Pats beat NFC East

2014 Pats NFC west in SB where the NFC team has a recent SB victory
2015 AFC West plays NFC South league MVP loses the game
2016 Pats beat NFC South Falcons?
2017 Pats best NFC East?

Hey I'm coming off a bye week and didn't have money to fly south and go out on the party boat so cut me some slack.

 

[venecol]

I see osweiler picking the pats apart but the pats stopping the run. Brady not enough time for deep passes.

Close game, i think pats win.

Now can they beat the steel heads? Yikes, theyre good.

Kenny please take your anxiety pills, I'm worried about you.

 

[moejr]

Houston could come out on fire and take it to us. You just never know. I'll be nervous for sure

 

[jimnance]

Kenny please take your anxiety pills, I'm worried about you.

He's too far gone for pills to help. I'd say electroshock and a lobotomy.

 

[OhExaulted1]

I

 

[Ring 6]

It will be interesting to see if KC continues to benefit from STs and defensive scoring, or if those opportunities suddenly dry up at the most inopportune time of the season.

I don't think Pittsburgh gets out of Arrowhead with a victory, myself. I think the atmosphere, noise, defense, and short passing attack of Smith and a very underrated receiving corps is too much for Pittsburgh to overcome. Should be a good one.

Pittsburgh has become an overrated stat compiling team that isn't good in big games.
In the last years 6 years the only playoff games they have won is last Sunday vs matt Moore and the limp fins and last year when they were beaten by Cincy and bufict and pacman handed them the game.
Winning this week would go a long way to say they have broken out of that funk but this is exactly the type of spot where they come up short

 

[OhExaulted1]

If Osweiler is on, it could get dicey. Even average qbs carve our secondary up.

 

[supafly]

Pittsburgh has become an overrated stat compiling team that isn't good in big games.
In the last years 6 years the only playoff games they have won is last Sunday vs matt Moore and the limp fins and last year when they were beaten by Cincy and bufict and pacman handed them the game.
Winning this week would go a long way to say they have broken out of that funk but this is exactly the type of spot where they come up short

I fully agree that this is the type of spot where they come up short, which is one of the reasons why I'd be leaning towards the possibility of playing KC.

That said, yesterday was the first time that they had Roethlisberger-Bell-Brown together in terms of the postseason, so that may show us that they're more of a team to reckon with than we previously had envisioned. I think this upcoming game @Arrowhead is going to give us a good idea as to who the Steelers really are right now.

 

[supafly]

I

I have a feeling that it's the exact opposite.

 

[The Brandon Five]

They're on to Houston, alright....

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Score 20+ points and the game is over. Welcome to Foxboro.


I like how we will have a day more to recover for the AFCCG than the winner of KC/Steelers. Add in the fact that both of them will be in an intense fight against each other and whoever wins also has a travel day for the AFCCG you truly see the advantage of HFA.

Agreed. While I think we can still win scoring less than 20 (which is why it will be very difficult for Houston to win - Patriots can win via both sides of the ball), game is probably over at 20. Except for this past Raiders game the Texans don't often break 20 (helped by Raiders errors) and rarely are in even sniffing distance of 30.

A flimsy QB'd Raiders team scored 14 -- and that was in Houston. So if Houston can keep us below 24 I'll be shocked/Texans as a team found a gear I didn't believe they had. And unless our OL pitches a below average performance, I'd be surprised if we don't break 30. Bottom line: I just don't think Houston belongs in the same group as the rest of the remaining PO teams.

 

[Vindicate]

Nice article by Doug Kyed on how the Patriots put up such a dominant defensive performance earlier in the season How Patriots Neutralized Texans’ DeAndre Hopkins In Week 3 Shutout

Something I'd like to pull from it, Kyed offers a snap count of different coverages:

"Cornerback Logan Ryan followed Hopkins around for most snaps in the Patriots’ 27-0 September win. That doesn’t mean Ryan was solely responsible for covering Hopkins, however. Far from it, in fact.

The Patriots were in Cover-2 on 19 of Brock Osweiler’s drop backs, Cover-2 man on 15, Cover-1 on six and Cover-3 on four.

Hopkins caught two of three targets against Cover-2 man for 26 yards, was 0-of-2 against Ryan in man coverage, 1-of-1 for 16 yards against Cover-3 and 1-of-2 for 14 yards with an interception against Cover-2."

Do you guys expect to see a similar game in terms of scheme? Maybe some more informed watches can tell us what's different from the week 3 Texans to the Divisional round Texans?

(If I didn't cite the article correctly or directly quoted too much information, please alert me mods so I can make appropriate adjustments - thanks)

Edit: Italicized quoted material