CREECH: THIS OPPONENT IS DIFFERENT.
Texans contend that gold-standard Patriots are just another game, but don’t fall for that
This game has been circled on the calendar for months. • Several Texans players and most of their coaching staff will throw out the old cliché that this one is “just like any other game,” but it’s not true and everyone knows it. • Because this game is against the Patriots. • On Sunday night, the Texans host the NFL’s most consistent team — the one every other franchise in the league strives to be.
The Texans are 1-10 all time against New England, having lost the last eight straight. Bill O’Brien is 0-5 against the Patriots in his tenure as head coach.
The Texans have come close — really close in fact with quarterback Deshaun Watson leading the way — but Bill Belichick and Tom Brady always find a way to come out on top. This isn’t just another game.
This is the game that could take the Texans to the next level.
The Texans have been pretty good this year. A 53-32 win over the Falcons earlier this season made us believe they were really good. Then an embarrassing 41-7 loss to the Ravens a month later made us believe they were worse than we thought.
In reality, they’ve been just above average. They are 7-4 with most of their wins coming in the final minutes of games.
They’ve been able to benefit from opponents’ late game mistakes or have been able to make impressive plays in crunch time.
A win over the Patriots would elevate the Texans.
They’d turn heads, gain confidence and be considered one of the league’s better teams with that on their resume.
“Games like this are why you play,” Texans defensive end D.J. Reader said. “It’s exciting. It’s fun. You want to beat the best, and they’ve been the best for a long time.”
The six-time Super Bowl champs are 10-1 this season. And while they haven’t been as dominant as they have in the past, they are still consistently winning.
While Brady and the offense receive a lot of attention, the Patriots’ defense this year is what is most impressive.
New England leads the NFL in points allowed per game with 10.6. It ranks second in total yards (256.4) and passing yards (158.0).
“They’re very disciplined. They’re very well coached,” Texans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said. “They play hard to the echo of the whistle, all 11 of them, and they’re very opportunistic. They take advantage of your mistakes. They’re lighting the world on fire when it comes to creating turnovers right now, and they’re doing a good job of capitalizing, like I said, when people make mistakes. That’s really the reason why they’re playing really well right now.”
The Texans’ offense is better than it has been in a lot of previous games against the Patriots.
The offensive line has improved since the last time the teams played. Watson has continued to grow into his role. The Texans also have fresh faces on offense who weren’t with them during the last meeting.
Tight end Derek Fells, receiver Kenny Stills and running backs Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson are all new to the Texans’ offense. Additionally, receiver Will Fuller hasn’t played against New England since his rookie year. Fuller has been key to the Texans’ offense this season and could make an impact Sunday.
Defensively, the Texans will have their hands full. Brady is on another level and has been for years.
This season, he heads to Houston with 15 touchdown passes and just five interceptions. He has completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 2,942 yards.
Brady has played against the Texans 10 times and won in nine.
“Great player,” O’Brien said.
“What is always impressive about Tom is how he adapts to the game itself, how he adapts to his team, how he does what’s right for the team. I think that’s huge. You just really have to look at how he plays the games. He gets them into the right plays. He doesn’t turn the ball over. He makes good decisions for the team. He reserves the right to punt once in a while, although I know he doesn’t like to punt. But he does whatever it takes for the team to win.”
The Patriots have a long list of weapons. So do the Texans, but to this point, the Patriots have used theirs more effectively. They just keep finding ways to win.
“They just do a lot of things well, so you have to do a lot of things well,” O’Brien said. “You’ve got to take care of the ball. You’ve got to be in manageable third downs. You have to cover kicks well. You have to do the best you can to try to take the ball away if you can. It’s just that type of a game, and they’re a great team. They’re 10-1 for a reason and we just need to go in there and play one play at a time.
“Very cliché, I know that, but you have to play one play at a time and understand that each play is a different type of situation, a different play. Focus on that play and play the next play. That’s the mentality you have to have.”
The Patriots won’t go down easily. The Texans know that since they’ve only been able to take down New England once in their history.
Sunday night is the biggest game of the season in Houston. If the Texans can beat the Patriots, it will become a signature win for the franchise.