The Houston Texans take on the New England Patriots Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium for a Week 11 showdown.
To preview the battle between the two sides, who each have losing records for the first time in the series, Henry McKenna from the Patriots Wire stops by to give some insight.
Texans Wire: Is it just taking the Patriots longer to figure out what works?
Henry McKenna: I think that might just be the case, yes. But I think this game will be telling, even if it’s against the lowly Texans. Last season, Houston showed they could play New England well. I could totally see this game being a trap for the Patriots. And they’ve be oh-so-inconsistent this season. So if they continue their up and down trend, they may lose in Week 11. Of course, if it’s like I’m saying (and the Patriots just needed a few extra weeks to figure out what works with quarterback Cam Newton), then this should be a 10-point victory for a surging Patriots team after a quality win over the Ravens last week.
TW: Is Cam Newton getting his career back on track?
HM: It looks that way. But again, the Patriots went through a four-game losing streak and Newton was definitely one person deserving blame. So he’s not out of the woods. In the three weeks, he’s shown major strides in decision making. The result has been a 2-1 record. Had he simply held onto the football against the Bills in Week 8, the Patriots might be 3-0 over the last three weeks and in range for the AFC East title.
TW: How impressive has J.C. Jackson been?
HM: Terrific. He’s not quite the player that Stephon Gilmore is. Jackson isn’t a traditional shutdown corner, like Gilmore. Receivers get open against Jackson. And he can be a player worth targeting when he draws WR1 as an assignment. But that’s also how Jackson has an NFL-high six interceptions. Quarterbacks can get overly confident targeting Jackson, whose clearly one of the best ballhawking cornerbacks in the NFL. So Jackson may seem like he’s having a tough game while allowing a few chunk plays. Then, suddenly, he generates a game-changing turnover.
TW: Why has Belichick lightened up and done national commercials?
No idea. Weird, right?
i wish i was bill belichick right now pic.twitter.com/DcHYCGOI0p
— Birdeeee 🦃 (@Bird_eeee) November 17, 2020
TW: Who are some underrated Patriots Texans fans need to keep an eye on?
HM: Chase Winovich is really good on the edge, and has recently been playing inside linebacker, too. Guard Michael Onwenu is deserving of Offensive Rookie of the Year — but he’ll never win it, because quarterbacks always do. And rookie safety Kyle Dugger enjoyed his first NFL start last week, which he converted into a team-high 12 tackles.
TW: What is your prediction?
HM: I think both offense are going to struggle. Romeo Crennel is going to develop a good game plan, which probably involves doubling Jakobi Meyers, the Patriots emergent WR1. But the Patriots defense should be able to bottle up the Texans. So it’ll be a brutal battle of attrition. Patriots, 17-14