Hill injury big blow to attack
Rejuvenated RB departs after knock to right knee
FOXBORO — Lighter than he’s been since high school, a re-energized Jeremy Hill made an instant impact in yesterday’s seasonopening win for the Patriots.
Hill partially blocked a punt, and then picked up 18 yards on the ensuing two plays to help jump-start the Pats’ final drive of the first half.
But the veteran running back went down with a right knee injury early in the second half as he attempted to chase down Texans safety Tyrann Mathieu following a Rob Gronkowski fumble. Hill remained on the ground for several minutes and was eventually helped off the field by trainers. He was ruled out immediately.
A severe injury would be a crushing blow for Hill, who looked excellent in the preseason after dropping to 225 pounds. He played at 235 pounds as a member of the Bengals.
Hill signed a one-year deal with the Pats and beat out Mike Gillislee for the role of “big back.”
If Hill is sidelined for an extended period, the Pats will rely on Rex Burkhead, James White and rookie Sony Michel out of the backfield.
Michel, who has been dealing with a knee injury of his own since Aug.1, did not suit up for the season opener. He was a limited practice participant this past week.
Changes ahead?
The Patriots may need to revisit their punt return situation after yesterday’s season opener.
They were rolling, up 27-13 with 4:32 remaining, when secondyear pro Riley McCarron muffed a punt at his own 16-yard line.
The Texans punched in a touchdown to draw within seven points, and they had a chance to tie on the final possession.
“I just dropped it and obviously it is not a good feeling, that’s about it,” McCarron said. “The guys told me to keep my head up and I got great support from my teammates. Credit to the defense, they did a great job.”
Amazing throw
Rob Gronkowski reeled in an impossible 30-yard reception late in the second quarter, somehow fending off double coverage to secure the ball.
Gronk, who was bracketed by tight coverage, offered a classic reaction to the play.
“I had two guys on me and when I saw the ball in the air I literally thought first thing, ‘What is Tom (Brady) thinking?’ ” Gronkowski said. “When that ball was in the air I had a guy grabbing me and I was just like, ‘I’ve just got to go for it.’ I can’t let them make a play on it, so just went up for it, made the catch.
“I did make the catch; I don’t know how. When I went to the ground I had it stable in my hand, so it was definitely a catch, but Tom went up to the line really quick just to make sure. We got the play off, which was nice.”
The Pats hurried to the line and ran a quick play. Houston couldn’t challenge the play because it occurred inside the twominute mark of the first half. Instead, the review needed to come from the officiating headquarters in New York.
“New York did get back to us,” referee Tony Corrente said in the pool report. “However, unfortunately, they didn’t get to the game officials on the field until after the play had already started.”
The Pats finished the drive with a Phillip Dorsett touchdown, which gave them a 21-6 lead.
Texans coach Bill O’Brien wasn’t thrilled.
Asked if he could have taken a timeout to give the officiating headquarters additional time to examine the play, O’Brien said, “That’s not my job to call a time out, to make their job easier.
“You know, what I am trying to do is make sure we go into halftime with a 14-6 (deficit),” O’Brien said. “Say I call a time out there, they rule it a catch, now the Patriots have more time to put a play together. You know, whatever you are going to write, you are going to write. But that’s not my job to do that.”
Tough call
The Texans received some life on the final drive when Duron Harmon was flagged for unnecessary roughness following an incomplete pass to DeAndre Hopkins.
The penalty moved Houston from the 1-yard line to the 16.
“(The referee) said I hit him still with my helmet,” Harmon said. “He said my shoulder hit his helmet, and I don’t know if it hit his helmet, but I felt like I did a good job of using my shoulder and not using my head, and hitting him.
“But with those bang-bang plays, I mean, the referee’s in a tough spot. It’s a point of emphasis from the NFL for us to make it a safer league, so he’s doing his job. And I’m just going to look back, look at the play and see if maybe I can do something a little different, or maybe it was just the way it was called right there.”
Asked if he can do anything differently, “Honestly, I don’t think so. Obviously we’ll watch the film tomorrow. I’ll talk to coach (Bill) Belichick obviously, talk to coach (Brian) Flores and talk to Steve (Belichick) and see if I can do something different. But from the way we came to the sideline, we all thought it was a pretty clean hit.”
Inactives
Second-year tight end Jacob Hollister missed the game due to a hamstring injury. The Pats appear to be taking a cautious approach with Hollister, who sat out of the final two preseason games, as well. He could be a factor in the offense alongside Gronkowski when healthy.
Rookie cornerbacks Keion Crossen and J.C. Jackson were healthy scratches. Second-year defensive end Derek Rivers also sat out. Rivers missed his rookie season with a knee injury, and has fallen behind Keionta Davis on the depth chart.