The New England Patriots will try to keep their momentum on Sunday afternoon when they travel to NRG Stadium for an AFC showdown against the Houston Texans.
The Patriots likely won’t make it into the 2020 postseason, but they kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a win over the Baltimore Ravens last week. 4-5, New England is on the outside looking at a crowded AFC playoff picture. However, with a favorable schedule on the track, the Pats could still finish with a modest 8-8 record. Meanwhile, Houston is trying to save some pride after a 2-7 start.
Can the Patriots keep track of the Texans in Week 11?
Patriots are racing for a second victory in a row all over Ravens
New England made an unlikely surprise last week, beating the Baltimore Ravens 23-17 after a relapse game from the Patriots offensive. Cam Newton completed 13 of 17 passes for 118 yards and one touchdown, while adding another touchdown on the ground if he won. The Patriots rushed for 173 yards, led by Damien Harris, who had a season high of 121 yards, and Rex Burkhead caught two touchdowns to help the Patriots score their second straight win.
Last week the Patriots tensed their collective muscles on the offensive, beating the league’s number 1 on the 173-115 offensive on the ground. New England comes in week 11 with an average of 161.1 rushing yards per game, just following the ravens for the standings. New England can get back to 500 with a win this week and should be able to do so against the worst running defense in the league.
Cam Newton and Jakobi Meyers were automatically in the clutch against the jets. Another 8 seconds and the patriots needed a large piece for a field goal and they made it possible ????
I love the chemistry between Newton and Meyers. pic.twitter.com/hqiRL0xE4h
– Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) November 12, 2020
On the other side of the ball, the Patriots are on the up after last week’s win. New England only allows 23.4 points per game (10th in the NFL) and 363.3 yards of total offense per competition. Although the Patriots’ defenses are not as good as they have been in years past, they remain stingy on the pass, losing only 234.1 meters per game for nine weeks.
Texans still don’t have an answer at RB
The Texans played without running back on David Johnson and were held in check last week in very windy conditions with a 10-7 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Deshaun Watson completed 20 of 30 passes for just 163 yards and one touchdown, while Pharaoh Brown got the team’s only touchdown that day. When Houston’s offensive struggled to move the football, Texans’ running defense and lack of running play came under scrutiny. The Texans were injured for 231 rushing yards and 5.6 yards per carry when both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt crossed the 100 mark in the loss. Meanwhile, Duke Johnson won a modest 54 yards with 14 runs to lead Houston in a rush.
Even if David Johnson is healthy, it has become strikingly clear that the Texans I have no answer while walking back. For four consecutive games, Houston’s leading player was less than 60 meters on the ground. That put a lot of pressure on Watson, and he did it for the most part. The Texans starter is the only quarterback in the NFL who hasn’t got a game grade below 60 this season. Watson’s numbers (2,539 yards, 18 TD, 5 INT) suggest it is him play at elite level But it didn’t lead to victories on the soccer field. One reason for this was Houston’s inability to play football.
Deshaun Watson asked what it means for him to face Cam Newton: “Cam is a big brother to me … he’s always been there for me since I was in high school … he’s the kind of guy I look to sustaining my game – especially at a young age – roughly … he was just always my favorite quarterback. ” pic.twitter.com/OBVPrvyBEf
– Asinine Punk (@riversmccown) 18th November 2020
Defense did not live up to expectations in 2020 either. Houston has given up 28.0 points and a total of 422.8 yards of attack per game, while being ranked the worst running defense in the league. The opposing teams trampled the Texans’ front seven with 167.4 rushing yards per game. Houston also struggled to get quarterback last week, sacking Baker Mayfield only once in the 7-10 loss.
