Distinct schools of thought
With vastly different results the past two games, how do O’Brien and Co. prepare for the Patriots?
The Texans suffered and celebrated after their last two games — the loss at Baltimore and the victory over Indianapolis — and now they have to prepare for New England, the defending Super Bowl champion.
After watching the Texans lose 41-7 to the Ravens and win 20-17 over the Colts, there are a couple of ways to look at the nationally televised Dec. 1 game against the Patriots at NRG Stadium.
First, there’s this positive school of thought: The Texans are coming off a physical conquest of the Colts that increased their record to 7-4, gave them a one-game lead in the AFC South and showed they’re ready to rumble against the Patriots, who play Dallas on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Or, there’s the negative approach that may be more realistic based on the way New England has dominated them: The Texans struggled to beat Indianapolis by three points, and they’re just not good enough to end their eight-game losing streak to the Patriots, who have a 10-1 record against them.
The Texans have three things going for them as they prepare for New England. They won on Thursday to rebound from their appalling performance at Baltimore. The players were given three days off to rest before reporting back to prepare for the Patriots. And the Texans are playing them at home.
There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Texans, but there’s something that’s for sure. They control what happens to them in the AFC South. December is crunch time in the NFL, and the Texans don’t have to rely on other teams in their bid to win the division.
“Like everybody says, if you can put yourself in position postThanksgiving, that’s a good thing,” coach Bill O’Brien said Friday. “Yes, (Thursday) night was good. It was important. It was a very, very tough game, a physical game. It was a good win for our guys. Everybody feels good around the building. There’s a lot of energy, but there’s a lot of football left.
“Just like Baltimore, we’ve got to turn the page. We’ve got the best team in the NFL coming in here — one of the best, if not the best.”
The Texans aren’t complaining about their schedule. Some teams, like San Francisco, have it tougher.
“That’s what the NFL’s all about,” O’Brien said. “In order to get where you want to go, you’ve got to be ready for those challenges.”
O’Brien has been dominated by his former boss, New England coach Bill Belichick. O’Brien is 0-5 against Belichick, and the Texans have been outscored by an average of 30-15.
Belichick and Tom Brady are making a rare appearance at
NRG Stadium. In the last game of the 2009 season, the Texans beat Belichick and Brady 34-27 for their only victory over New England in franchise history. The last four times they played were at Gillette Stadium.
In each of the last two seasons, the Texans suffered road losses against the Patriots by three and seven points. If the Texans lose another one, as they’re expected to do, they could be tied with the Colts again for first place in the division. Indianapolis’ next game is at home against Tennessee.
With such an important game coming up against New England, O’Brien thought long and hard about giving his players three consecutive days off. When he informed them after Thursday’s game, they cheered like they’d clinched the playoffs.
“As a coach, you always try to think about whether you should do that or not,” O’Brien said. “We’ve been to London, come back from London, had a bye, practiced for Baltimore, didn’t do well against Baltimore (and then a) short week.
“We’ve demanded a lot of these guys over the last three or four weeks. I felt it was time for (them) to take a break. The injured guys need to be here. They’ll be rehabbing to get us back to being a healthier team, and then we’ll come back on Monday and work.”
Unlike the players, the coaches won’t get three full days off. O’Brien will give them a brief break, but they’ll spend the weekend getting ready for the Patriots and a defense that’s been incredible.
O’Brien and his assistants — and many of their players — will keep a close eye on the DallasNew England game. The Cowboys have the league’s most productive offense and the Patriots the stingiest defense.
New England allows 249.9 yards a game and is plus-18 in turnover differential. The Patriots have scored six touchdowns on returns. They’ve allowed opponents in their red zone only 13 times.
Interestingly, the Texans are 10-1 under O’Brien after doubledigit defeats when they haven’t been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. He was asked to explain.
“The first thing that comes to mind is that’s too many doubledigit losses,” O’Brien said. “I think these guys are a resilient team. They did a good job last week of turning the page (after Baltimore). They focused on the Colts on Monday and went to work. That’s what you have to have to have. It’s all about the players in the locker room.
“If you have good, professional players that are mentally tough and understand that it’s a long year and there’s a lot to play for and don’t dwell on the past, it’s not hard to get a team to focus.”