After a disappointing first game of the season, the Houston Texans managed to bounce back for a win in a week two matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. The win was far from pretty, minus a 49 yard rushing touchdown by Deshaun Watson. This week, Houston will travel to Foxborough for a Sunday afternoon matchup with the defending Super Bowl champs. The New England Patriots also had a disappointing week one matchup only to bounce back in week two. This will be one of Houston’s toughest matchups this season, especially if Tom Brady plays like he did last week. Here are the week three Houston Texans keys to victory.
Week Three Houston Texans Keys to Victory
1) Keep Brady Uncomfortable
When these two teams met in the division round of the playoffs last season, the game was closer than the scoreboard shows. The defense was only credited with two sacks in the game, but they got to Brady a lot more than twice. Whitney Mercilus lead the way in that game with three quarterback hits and a sack. Jadeveon Clowney and Christian Covington both hit Brady twice while Brian Cushing got one quarterback hit and the only other sack. Cushing is the only player that won’t be a part of this rematch due to his suspension, of course.
Houston will also have their star defensive end J.J. Watt this time around. Watt hasn’t sacked Brady since the 2013 divisional round of the playoffs when Watt was credited with half-a-sack. He has yet to get a sack this season, although he has brought plenty of pressure. If the defensive front seven can bring the pressure to Brady and shake him up a bit, they have a chance to create some turnovers.
2) Utilize Speed on Offense
If the Texans can take one thing from the Kansas City Chiefs win over the Patriots in week one, it’s how the offense performed. Andy Reid utilized the speed of Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt and kept the defense guessing late in the game. Houston will likely be without their starting tight ends a second straight week so this is crucial for their success. Will Fuller immediately comes to mind when thinking of speed but, unfortunately, he is still out.
Bill O’Brien needs to get Braxton Miller involved early and get the running backs more involved in the passing game. Bill Belichik will likely take DeAndre Hopkins out of the equation, and it won’t be difficult considering Houston’s offensive line. The Patriots will only have to blitz three or four players on every play and still get pressure on the rookie quarterback. With that being said, the offense is going to have to run quick pass plays to get the ball out as soon as possible.
3) Protect the Football
In last season’s divisional round matchup, the Texans came up with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Unfortunately, Brock Osweiler threw three interceptions to negate those turnovers. If Houston is going to win this one, they’re going to have to force some turnovers. The key to this working, however, is to not turn the ball over. If the offense can protect the football, one defensive turnover could change the game.
The Texans will rely heavily on their vaunted defense to get a win in this one. The offense just needs to make sure any turnovers created or punts forced by the defense aren’t done in vain.
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