The New England Patriots continued their winning ways with a 27-0 Thursday Night Football blowout out of the Houston Texans and are now 3-0. Despite having their third string quarterback playing, the overall talent of the offense combined with a strong defensive performance allowed them to prevail.
New England Patriots Week Three Takeaways
No Brady, No Problem
People started to count the Patriots out at the beginning part of the season after it was announced that the four game suspension of star quarterback Tom Brady would be upheld. So far, the team has proven that it can succeed even without the face of their franchise under center. After two impressive showings, Jimmy Garoppolo went down with a shoulder injury against the Miami Dolphins. A week later against the Houston Texans, third round rookie Jacoby Brisset stepped in. While he failed to throw a touchdown pass, he was still fairly serviceable, going 11/19 for 109 yards passing and avoiding turning the ball over.
The most surprising thing about Brissett’s performance was his rushing ability. He ran the ball eight times for 48 yards, including a 27 yard touchdown run, his only score of the game. Last year, Tom Brady had 58 yards on the ground for the entire season. This game element isn’t something the Patriots are known for, and as a result it catches defenses off guard.
LeGarrette Blount Is Capable of Carrying a Team
It wasn’t the Patriots’ air attack that tore up the Texans defense. A strong rushing attack led by LeGarrette Blount decimated the opposition. Blount rushed for 105 yards on 24 carries. This dominant performance led to two touchdowns and a healthy 4.4 yard per carry average. His longest run on the game was a bruising 41 yarder that resulted in one of his two touchdowns. Blount was breaking tackles and plowing through that Texans defense all night long. He truly looked the part of a dominant feature back capable of winning games for his team.
The Patriots’ Defense Looks Like a Dominant Unit
This defense held the Texans without a single score, allowing only 284 yards of total offense. Brock Osweiler was held to only 175 yards though the air and a passer rating of 60.6. They neutralized the Texans dynamic receiving threat DeAndre Hopkins, holding him to 56 yards on four catches. The defense deflected five passes, and Jamie Collins came away with an interception in the second quarter of the game. They continued to force turnovers, causing the Texans to fumble four times throughout the game. The Patriots weren’t shy getting in the quarterback’s face or pushing the offense back either. They racked up five tackles for loss and sacked the quarterback twice. Very effective at stopping the run, they held Lamar Miller to only 80 yards.
The Patriots defensive unit looked truly dominant as they shut down the promising new age Texans offense. The opposing squad expected to come in and take advantage of this quarterback ravaged crew, but the defense responded with a cold reality check.
