Quick Reaction: Houston Texans vs. New England Patriots Thursday Night Football

By Joanne Kong

Twitter: @kongfu4u 

HOUSTON TEXANS (0) @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (27)

The Thursday night game gave all of us that believed in the Houston Texans a rude awakening.  I believed that the Texans were AFC conference champion contenders.  I believed the Texans had the ability to bring down the Patriots and go 3-0 for the season in the midst of the Patriots’ quarterback woes (um…what woes?).  Unfortunately, those beliefs were quickly shattered by the second half of the game.  The shine is gone.  The blinders are off.  And as I gingerly touch the bruise on my cheek from the slap the Texans delivered, I find it hard to believe anymore.

The Texans were humiliated, shut out 0-27, at the hands of Belichick and the Patriots defense, the Patriots first shut out in four years.

How?  The Texans fumbled punt returns twice and lost the ball both times deep in their own territory.  The Texans weren’t able to run an offensive play in New England territory until late in the third quarter.  And even that drive ended unsuccessfully at the New England 36 on failed 4th and 4 conversion.  There was a reason the Denver Broncos let quarterback Brock Osweiler chase the money to Houston in the offseason.  It was the same reason Brock Osweiler was taken out as the Broncos starting quarterback in exchange for a mostly toast Peyton Manning late in the season.

Osweiler was embarrassingly out-played and outshined by the Patriots rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett.  Osweiler had 196 passing yards, no touchdowns and an interception.  Brissett had 103 passing yards, no passing touchdowns, no interceptions and a long rushing touchdown.

There is little optimism for the Houston Texans.  The offense looked discombobulated and came undone quickly.  They showed dominance against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears, but fell drastically short against the Patriots.  They were continuously pinned inside their own 15-yard line during kickoffs by the Patriots special teams.  J.J. Watt was a non-factor at containing Brissett, at times he even looked lost and was slow to get off the line.  Jadeveon Clowney had no impact with the inability to stop the run game (the Patriots had 185 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns).  The Texans wide-receiving core were ineffective, mostly due to Brock Osweiler, but also due to some brutal drops.

What’s worse, Brissett didn’t complete anything but short passes, all under 10-yards.  Brissett didn’t throw one passing touchdown (though one did bounce off Edelman’s hands).  And unlike the Texans, the Patriots special teams fumbled several times, but recovered each time.

Time to drop the mic and slowly slink away, because the Texans are as done as a Thanksgiving turkey.  And as for the Patriots?  Well, I’m starting to think that Belichick could put an overripe banana behind center and they still would win.  Sigh.

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