The Houston Texans advanced to the season 3-7, beating the New England Patriots 27-20 at the NRG Stadium. From the jump, the game seemed to have a high flying relationship between these two offenses, as they were able to find the end zone in the first quarter. However, after a 10-play, 84-yard touchdown drive to start the game for the Josh McDaniels unit, the Patriots (-6-.) Fell largely silent in the first half. They managed just three points in the opening half and continued their brilliance as Deshen Watson looked on and took a 14-point lead in the second quarter. From there, why Newton and company were playing backwards and couldn’t get past Houston. Now, any kind of late playoff push dash seems to happen.
Watson ended his day with 344 yards and two touchdowns by the air despite losing Kenny Steels and Randall Cobb early in the tournament. He relied on his tight end in the passing game, leading the team with the 85 yards with Brandin Cooks, and Will Fuller V, who made y0 yards on six catches. Watson also contributed to the offense with his feet while scoring a four-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, a total of 36 yards.
Speaking of the Patriots ’offense, Newton didn’t feel comfortable passing the ball in the second half, but the unit failed for the most part. He passed 365 yards with zero turnover and finished with a touchdown.
To get a more in-depth look at how the game turned out, check out the main beds below.
Why Houston won
Deshaun Watson needs to be given a lot of credit, which no one can do wrong in this game. As he lit up the New England sub through the air, the first-round picks before him danced around his pockets to give his newcomers more time to open up. When he didn’t throw the ball, he tucked it in and ran for y 36 yards and a touchdown. The quarterback took full advantage of the Patriots’ silence in the second quarter, posting 14 unanswered points before going into the locker room half time.
While Watson was hurting the offensive side of the ball, the defense win was one of his best days of the season. The most surprising development came to the ground. Houston came in Week 11, boasting the worst run defense in the entire NFL. On paper, that was a clear misunderstanding against the Patriots unit which averaged the second-ranked yard per game by Sunday. When the game was played, however, the run defense played well, allowing only 86 yards and one touchdown on the ground. That mark is even better when you finish 26 rushing yards on the Patriots ’opening touchdown drive. When you do that, what was the bill as the Horizons run by the Texans, it kept New England up to just 60 yards on the ground.
JJ Wood also caught the game for the Texans, batting four passes that day, including Newton’s third and four important passes to play in the game. Avoiding late rallies by patriots increases the proportion of boats.
Why New England lost
The Patriots struggled for a string with positive offensive drives during the afternoon. After a total of 84 84 yards and a touchdown on his starting drive, Josh McDaniels’ unit, just possessions yard and three points in the bottom five assets. On this stretch, the Texans put up 21 points and turned away with a win. Damien Harris seemed to be having a good day against Houston’s low-run defense, but the backstage calmed down after getting a nine-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Part of that is probably because the Patriots threw more because they were behind, but it wasn’t as efficient as Bill Belichick had hoped.
While Cam Newton threw 5 365 yards and a touchdown, the Patriots continue to struggle to complete some game passes with open receivers in the middle of the quarterback flat or in the short term. There were many situations where some of Newton’s passes were released in a short period of time and helped to derail some of the offensive assets.
Defensively, the countrymen struggled to accommodate Deshaun Watson, as he could either lengthen plays to find receivers by air or pick yards with his legs. Watson’s ability to keep plays alive was evident in third place where the Patriots were really incapable for much of the game. At one point in this final loss, Texas converted five of their nine third-chances. That inability to get on the field doesn’t give crime much of a chance to get into the rhythm.
Turn
While 1 answered points for the end of the first half certainly helped establish Houston’s lead and final win, while their ability to catch up before New England’s final offensive series ended in time, where they actually closed the door. Come back With 4:11 to play and any thin chances of pushoff pressure on the line, why Newton’s offense took the field down 27-27. They were able to march as low as the Houston 24-yard line, but by that end they wanted to move on in their hopes of reaching the final zone and building the game. It was there that JJ Watt batted down one pass on a third-4-pass from Newton who came in fourth. There, Houston’s defense sped up Newton and forced him to throw the ball down by turning it down. At the time, New England’s chances of winning were an intense miracle that was never completed.
Play the game
While the Patriots weren’t able to come away with a win, when Cam Newton completed ie૨-yard pass Damier Byrd in the third quarter, the offense had the most eye-catching afternoon. The receiver hit his man in the mongoose line, tried to track Newton’s truck passing over his left shoulder, and grabbed the over-the-shoulder, showing tremendous concentrations coming down. The catch at the time made it a one-possession lead for the Texans, as New England were just four behind at the time.
The quiz was undoubtedly Bird’s best game as a Patriot, ending with 132 yards on six receptions to go with that score. While playoffs may be more than a pipe-dream, the chemistry between Byrd and Newton is a positive development in New England’s offense.
Devin McCourty’s trucking to hit the lone racing touchdown of Deshen Watson’s game Here is an honorable mention.
What’s next
From here, the Patriots will head back to Foxborough and await a match with the Arizona Cardinals at Gillette Stadium next Sunday. The Texans, meanwhile, will pick up the pace from this week, as they have a quick turn and will face the Lions in Detroit on Thanksgiving.
Total coffee specialist. Hardcore reader. Incurable music scholar. Web guru. Freelance troublemaker. Problem solver. Travel trailblazer.
