Following a Week one loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the New England Patriots rolled over the New Orleans Saints last Sunday, and reminded the NFL community why they were the preemptive favorites to defend their Super Bowl title. From efficiency to physical play, here are the Week three New England Patriots keys to victory to continue their winning ways over the Houston Texans.
Week Three New England Patriots Keys to Victory
Wear Down the Defense
This will be the tenth game all-time between the Patriots and Texans, and to say New England has fared-well against Houston would be putting it mildly. Since their first showdown way back in 2003, the Pats have gone 8-1 against the Texans, with two of those victories coming in the playoffs.
Now, to be fair, the Houston Texans in 2003 weren’t the same team that has been around the last few seasons. Despite a revolving door of dreadful quarterback play (i.e. Brock Osweiler) it’s never wise to count out the Texans. Lead by J.J. Watt, the Texans have a stout defense that has been one of the finest in the league over the last few seasons.
In Sunday’s win over the Saints, the Patriots were met with little resistance on many of their drives, and frankly, putting up 36 points on that sorry defensive unit was almost respectful. This probably won’t be the case this Sunday. The Texans present a far superior pass rush than the Saints, and their secondary is also nothing to sneeze at. With Watt currently suffering from a finger injury, wearing down the Texans defense will be a critical focal point for Tom Brady and the rest of the offensive unit.
Pound the Rock
With Julian Edelman out for the season, and Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski operating at (possibly) less than 100%, the pass attack for the Patriots may not be as effective this Sunday as it otherwise would have been.
With the passing game not at full tilt, running back Mike Gillislee has a chance to be a real difference maker. While he has yet to eclipse the 100-yard mark in a game, Gillislee has certainly been a consistent contributor, racking up four touchdowns in his first two games with the Pats. With only 33 carries in two games, Gillislee also hasn’t been given a large volume of touches either, so perhaps he’s due for a breakout game.
Meanwhile, the Texans haven’t been successful in shutting down the run early this season, allowing just over 118 yards per game, which ranks 22nd in the league. If the Patriots plan to wear down the Texans, giving Gillislee upwards of 25 touches will help tire out a defensive line who’s anchor may or may not be playing without a finger.
Give Deshaun Watson a Rude New England Welcome
Typically, rookie quarterbacks don’t perform at a high level during their first season in the NFL. There are a few recent and obvious exceptions to this rule (see: Dak Prescott, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, and for a short while, Robert Griffin III), but more often than not, making life miserable for a rookie quarterback is key to victory for any team.
Sunday, in only his third game and second career start, Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has the unenviable task of trying to the beat the Super Bowl champions in Foxborough. So far though, Watson has looked like the real deal for the Texans. His stats are by no means eye-popping (227 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a game and half), but he has played with every bit of confidence and poise that he displayed during his collegiate career at Clemson.
Unfortunately for the 22-year-old, Sunday’s game will more than likely be a humbling experience. While he seemed comfortable in NFL action against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals, both teams were still able to disrupt Watson, combining for seven sacks.
Bringing the focus back to New England, chances are head coach Bill Belichick has discussed ad-nausem how to send Watson and the Texans bruised and battered out of Foxborough.
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