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On Sunday night the New England Patriots (10-2) travel to Houston to take on the Houston Texans (6-6) in a matchup that could decide the playoff fates for both teams. The Patriots come into this game as one of the best teams in the NFL, but injuries have taken their toll. After losing wide receiver Julian Edelman to a broken foot a couple of weeks ago, the Patriots lost star TE Rob Gronkowski for a few weeks following an injury suffered against the Denver Broncos. Other injuries sustained by the Patriots helped the Philadelphia Eagles upset the Patriots last week at Gillette Stadium.
Houston saw their four-game winning streak snapped last Sunday to the Buffalo Bills 30-21 in Buffalo. The Texans, however, are still in the AFC South after the Indianapolis Colts were routed on Sunday Night Football by the Pittsburgh Steelers 45-10.
While neither team has a definitive weakness on either side of the ball, the strengths of the Patriots and Texans are on opposite sides. The Patriots have one of the league’s best offenses ranking first in passing yards per game and third in total offense. Defensively, the Texans rank seventh overall and third in pass defense. This will be the toughest matchup the Patriots offense and Texans defense have faced this season.
The Texans have receivers that can be dangerous, but their offense is centered around wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. In his first full season as the Texans’ No. 1 receiver, Hopkins has established himself as a Pro Bowl player by recording 86 receptions for 1,169 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Stopping Hopkins will be key for the Patriots to stop the Texans’ offense. The Patriots started the year without both Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, each of whom left in free agency. However, Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan have more than held their own on the outside. It also helps that they have Pro Bowl-caliber safety Devin McCourty providing coverage over the top. Finally, New England’s 11th-ranked rushing defense lost long-time nose tackle Vince Wilfork as a free agent to the Texans, making this a juicy prime-time game.
The Texans’ strength is most definitely on the defensive side of the ball where they’ve held teams to just 332.3 yards and 22 points per game. The defense is led by defensive end J.J. Watt who lead the NFL with 13.5 sacks. The Texans’ defense has also benefited with a healthy Brian Cushing. A 2009 first-round draft pick, Cushing is the heart and soul of the Texans’ defense, but injuries have limited his play over the years. He is back at a Pro Bowl-caliber level this season, and the Texans’ defense was dominant during their most recent four-game winning streak.
The Patriots’ offense has been the best in the league for many years and it doesn’t matter who enters the lineup. Running back Dion Lewis was lost for the season a few weeks ago, but James White has filled his role as a third-down back and actually had a good game against Philadelphia. With Gronkowski out, backup TE Scott Chandler scored a touchdown last week. But the real key is Tom Brady. Even with a new cast of receivers and injuries surrounding his offensive line, he is still playing at an MVP level.
With four weeks remaining in the regular season the Patriots are in good position to win the AFC East once again, but these two teams have two separate goals in their remaining games. While the Texans will be looking to win the AFC South, the Patriots will be focused on keeping guys healthy and getting some of their injured players back. Even with the key injuries to both teams, Sunday night’s battle will be crucial for both teams, and will show if the Texans are a legitimate playoff contender this season.
