After back to back home losses to the Saints and the Buccaneers, it feels as if the Patriots’ season is now at a crossroads. They were favored against the Saints but put in a horrible performance to lose. On the other hand, they were big underdogs against the Bucs and came within the width of the left upright to take the lead and in line for a big upset. The loss to the Bucs was heartbreaking because it would have been the type of win that could have galvanized the team and instill greater confidence. Bill Belichick’s task this week would have been to take the positives and forget the media circus surrounding Brady’s return last Sunday. In this article, we preview the game and make our bold prediction.
1. The Patriots-the defense did a good job last week in limiting Brady and the high-powered offense. They minimized the damage by holding the Bucs to 1 of 4 chances in the red zone. Heading into this matchup with the Texans, they will look to feast on rookie quarterback Davis Mills who threw for only 87 yards and four interceptions in the 40-0 blowout loss to the Bills in week 4. Belichick’s defense forced four interceptions from Zach Wilson in week 2, and he will put in place a game-plan to replicate that feat against Mills. On offense, look for Mac Jones to build on his good performance on Sunday night. McDaniels will look to address the ground game after the Buccaneers’ defense shut down the run game for -1 in total yards. However, the Texans’ run defense is not the same as the Buccaneers. McDaniels will look to establish a balanced attack and take advantage of Jones in the no-huddle offense.
2. The Texans-Texans fans will be counting down the days until Tyrod Taylor’s possible return. Taylor got injured in week two against the Browns by suffering a Grade 2 strain to his left hamstring, and the earliest he can return is in week 6. Taylor led the team to a season-opening win against the Jaguars, and against the Browns he had completed 10 of 11 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown before the injury. An ex-factor for the Texans offense is the former Patriot Wide Receiver, Brandin Cook. So far this season, Cook has caught 28 catches for 369 yards, and one touchdown. The Texans’ game plan should involve protecting the football and staying on the field for as long as possible. It would give their defense a chance to stay fresh and make plays.
3. Stats:
i) Jakobi Meyers’ arm is a secret weapon-the Patriots did two trick plays that involved Jakobi Meyers on Sunday. According to Pro Football Reference in his NFL career, Jakobi has hit all 4 passes he has attempted for 88 yards, two touchdowns, and a career rating of 158.3. McDaniels should strategize at least one trick play for Meyers per game with this kind of success.
ii) Bills blowout loss was the worst defeat ever-the 40-0 defeat to Buffalo in week 4 became the most lopsided defeat in Texans franchise history. It surpassed the 45-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017.
4. Head to Head Result-the Texans and Patriots first squared off against each other in November 2003, and this week they will meet each other for the 14th time. According to the Football Database, the Patriots lead the matchup with 10 wins to 3 losses. However, with the brilliant Deshaun Watson under center, the Texans have won the last two games between the franchises. The last four contests between both teams have been decided by 7 points or less.
5. Bold Prediction-I think Davis Mills will have a tough day against Belichick’s defense and all the disguised coverages he will see. As a result, I think the secondary will have a few interceptions. Mac Jones will take advantage of an average defense and eventually create separation on the scoreboard.
Final Score-Patriots 24-Texans 10
