Texans offensive grades from 28-22 win over the Patriots

There were plenty of gold stars to go around as the Houston Texans offense had their way with the New England Patriots 28-22 on Sunday night.

The Houston Texans, for the first in a decade, defeating the New England Patriots on Sunday night. Their offense blew away expectations, playing efficient football against one of the NFL’s best defenses — not in 2019, but ever.

The Texans gained 276 yards and four touchdowns on offense against the Patriots. They didn’t turn over the ball once, scored on all of their visits in the red zone (three) and converted six of their 11 first downs in the win. Let’s grade the individual groups who led to the upset victory.

Quarterback

Deshaun Watson needed a perfect or near-perfect performance to beat the vaunted, No. 1 scoring Patriots defense. He hit the latter, playing a near-perfect game to ultimately get what he wanted most: a win over Tom Brady, who refers to as the GOAT.

Watson went 18 for 25 passing for 234 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. His 140.7 passer rating is the most by any quarterback against the Patriots in 2019, surpassing Lamar Jackson’s performance in Week 9.

#Texans QB Deshaun Watson finished with a 140.7 vs. the Patriots, the most for any QB against them in 2019.

He surpassed Lamar Jackson’s 107.7 mark set in Week 9.

— Avery Duncan (@averydduncan) December 2, 2019

To top it off, Watson caught a touchdown pass via a trick option play with DeAndre Hopkins and Duke Johnson involved.

Watson did miss a few throws. He took three sacks, two of which were avoidable from his side. However, he faced one of the NFL’s historically great defenses and slew it via deep bombs, smart check-downs and decisiveness, whether running or standing still.

That’s called a passing grade and then some.

Grade: A+

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4 takeaways from Broncos’ 23-20 win over Chargers

The Denver Broncos were able to get Drew Lock a win in his first career start in NFL with a 23-20 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

You often hear that the NFL is a “week to week” league. That is a true statement.

In one week, you can go from feeling like your team is as bad as it gets to being quite excited after one small change. However, switching quarterbacks should not be considered a small change, particularly when the quarterback is a highly-drafted rookie.

Drew Lock took over as the Broncos quarterback on Sunday and his rookie debut was met with tempered expectations, mainly because the organization seemed hesitant to put him on the field.

He came through with flying colors against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13, leading the Broncos to their fourth win of the season. Here’s what we took away from this game.

1. Drew Lock showed flashes

This is the obvious place to start. Lock wasn’t sensational by any means but he showed flashes while completing 18 of 28 passes and throwing two touchdowns. He did have one interception but for his first start, against a defense that features the likes of Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram and Derwin James, this effort was more than sufficient.

It’s also exciting for fans to see a quarterback that the team used a high draft pick on getting off to a good start in his career. This team is starving for a “quarterback of the future” and has been for years.

While that may or may not be Lock, this was a good way to start things out on the right foot.

2. Courtland Sutton is a star

Sutton is quietly having a tremendous season for the Broncos and is quickly blossoming into one of the game’s top young receivers. He really likes to play the Chargers too.

In two games against Los Angeles this year, Sutton has eight catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns.

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In their own words: 4 keys for the Texans to beat the Patriots

The Houston Texans enter Sunday’s bout with the New England Patriots as underdogs. Find out how they can pull off the upset at NRG Stadium.

The 10-1 New England Patriots are in town to face the 7-4 Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football. A highly anticipated matchup between two of the league’s most intriguing teams, the matchup should be one of thrills and eyes glued to screens.

The Patriots come in as the favorites. If the Texans want to update, they must play a clean game of football while getting their stars going against a terrifying defense. However, don’t let a writer tell you that. Instead, let the players do so.

qb Deshaun Watson: Don’t look at the past

texans-patriots-vary-greatly-2018-matchup — Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The Patriots, since the beginning of the Bill Belichick-era, have the best of most teams, including the Texans. In their 11 matchups, the Patriots are 10-1 against the Texans. New England has won the last eight against Houston, solidifying their dominance over them in the last decade.

Watson, who will face the Patriots for the third time, calls for the Texans to forget the past.

“Every year is different, every game is different. It’s a new week, a new opportunity, we’re both 0-0 and we’re both trying to be 1-0 Sunday night. That’s how we have to look at it. We can’t look in the past, we can’t look in the future,” said Watson on Wednesday. “We’ve got to focus on this moment now, and what we’re focused on is we’re focused on Wednesday practice. We’re going to focus on these meetings after practice and take it brick by brick and step by step. If we can do that, we’ll be just fine.”

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Heat provide Nets opportunity unique from series with Celtics

Sunday’s matchup with the Miami Heat marks the end of the Brooklyn Nets’ three-game stretch against two top-four Eastern Conference teams.

While the Nets managed to hold off the Boston Celtics — who have one of the best records in the Eastern Conference — on Black Friday after losing to them on Wednesday, Brooklyn faces a different test on Sunday. The Miami Heat enter Barclays Center with a 13-5 record, the same record Boston now has. Both only trail the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference standings.

This matchup is important because it may be the most accurate measuring stick for the Nets to this point.

Knocking off the Celtics is a quality win and shows Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie-led upward trend isn’t a fluke. But there were also unique emotions going into Friday’s game after the fans in Boston laid into the Nets because Kyrie Irving didn’t make the trip.

With the Heat, there isn’t the additional “game within the game,” or however you want to put it. This is simply the Nets facing a team with one of the best records in the Eastern Conference.

So there’s the straightforward nature of the game, then add in one stat which makes this more significant for the Nets than any other game to this point.

Miami is 2-5 against teams with a .500 record or better. Thanks to Brooklyn’s latest stretch, they’re now one game over .500.

This doesn’t make a win imperative for the Nets — though that would be ideal. Forcing a tight contest would show, even without Irving, the Nets truly are still a handful — and things won’t get any easier for opponents when Brooklyn’s starting point guard returns.

4 things to watch for when Broncos face Chargers in Week 13

The Denver Broncos will be looking for a season sweep of the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in Week 13.

The Denver Broncos will face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in a battle of two struggling teams that had much higher expectations this season. The Broncos have won only three games this season and one of those was over the Chargers.

This game could be significant in terms of Broncos history as it could mark the first start in the career of Drew Lock. The second-round pick is widely expected to make the start in this game.

Unless you’re a diehard fan of one of these teams, it might be tough to get interested in this one. However, there are some things to watch for.

How will Lock look?

Fans are always excited to see their team’s high draft picks in action, particularly when it’s the quarterback. But the Broncos haven’t been too anxious to get Lock on the field.

Where does the apprehension come from? Is there fear within the organization that Lock is just not ready for the big stage? It’s always tough to determine when to play a young quarterback, but this is the right decision.

Lock will most likely be the quarterback for the rest of this season, so hopefully, he gets off to a big start.

The Chargers get a superstar back

If there’s a reason for Broncos fans to be nervous about Lock’s first start, it’s because he will go against some of the best young defensive players in football.

Not only will he have to worry about Joey Bosa breathing down his neck, but Derwin James will make his season debut for the Chargers. After missing the entire beginning of the season with a foot stress fracture, James will be on the field on Sunday looking to follow up a strong rookie season with a big finish to this one.

It is possible that the Chargers could also have their other safety, Adrian Phillips, back for this one. Phillips has been out since Week 2 with a broken arm.

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Behind Enemy Lines: Previewing Texans-Patriots with Patriots Wire

Patriots Wire was kind enough to answer a few questions to provide a preview of New England vs. Houston for Texans Wire.

The Houston Texans and the New England Patriots face off for the sixth time since 2015. To help preview the matchup, Lance Reynolds from the Patriots Wire was kind enough to answer a few questions.

texans wire: the last time the patriots were 10-1 was 2004. is this team as dominant as their other eight super bowl berth squads?

Lance Reynolds: Standing at 10-1 with the No. 1 seed in the AFC, New England is in firm control of making yet another deep playoff run come late January. With such a cushion on the rest of the AFC East and only really having to worry about Baltimore, things would still look promising for the Patriots even if they were to drop a game before the end of the regular season.

With that said, though, I do not think this team is as dominant as their other eight Super Bowl berth squads. Tom Brady is visibly frustrated with the pace of the current offense, having to rely on unfamiliar targets in rookie receivers Jakobi Meyers and N’Keal Harry outside of the steady production of Julian Edelman. The offensive line has had its problems but with Isaiah Wynn back from injured reserve, things will hopefully improve along that front. We also can’t forget about the problems at kicker throughout the season since Stephen Gostkowski was put on injured reserve in late September.

If New England ends up hoisting its seventh Lombardi Trophy in early February, it will be because of its defense. The Patriots, led by its “Boogeymen” linebacker core, have allowed more than 14 points just once. It has been a rare display of historic dominance that will be the key come playoff time.

tw: how dominant is cb stephon gilmore? he seemed to lock down the cowboys’ amari cooper.

LR: The weather at Gillette Stadium last Sunday was putrid. Cold temperatures, gusty winds, and strong rain certainly didn’t help either the New England or Dallas passing offense. Amari Cooper, the No. 1 target for Dak Prescott, was withheld from a catch.

Was that because of the rain? Or, was it more so due to Cooper being covered by Stephon Gilmore?

Both contributed to the lackluster showing from the Cowboys stud receiver, but my guess is leaning more towards the latter. Gilmore has been without a doubt the best cornerback in the entire NFL this season. All the talk was on Jalen Ramsey heading into the season. But Gilmore has proven how he is the best corner.

Currently, Gilmore is first among cornerbacks in passer rating allowed at 32.7 while being third in both catch rate allowed (43.1 percent) and coverage rating (+65.6). The stud cornerback has shined against some of the most elite wide receivers in the game, allowing 52 yards to Cleveland’s Odell Beckham Jr to go along with his shutout of Cooper.

does the fact bill belichick’s assistants fail outside of new england detract from his greatness? bill walsh, paul brown, tom landry, etc. all had coaching trees.

The fact that Bill Belichick’s former assistants have had little success as head coaches does not take any greatness away from one of the greatest coaches of all-time.

Being a head coach is obviously a lot different than being an offensive/defensive coordinator or a positional assistant. I think when you added up the likes of defensive-minded Matt Patricia and Brian Flores with an offensive mastermind in Josh McDaniels under Belichick, that is when everything clicked not just on-the-field performance wise but the chemistry was also really strong.

Flores and Patricia both went into complete dumpster fires in Miami and in Detroit, so it really is hard to tell whether they are the sole proprietors of both those messes. It also is a little too early to tell.

Editor’s note: The most successful Bill Belichick assistant is Texans coach Bill O’Brien. No other Belichick assistants (Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini, Josh McDaniels, Nick Saban, Al Groh, Brian Flores, and Matt Patricia) have won a playoff game.

TW: What has Josh McDaniels done really well to still utilize the vast playing experience of Brady without exposing him to a young man’s game?

LR: McDaniels has done a great job of adjusting New England’s offensive approach around Brady without exposing him to a young man’s game.

McDaniels knows Brady wouldn’t have lasted as long as he has if he was throwing deep passes on most of his attempts. McDaniels also knows that Brady doesn’t have the leg speed for the offense to look similar to the new influx of the best offensive teams in Baltimore and Kansas City.

Brady even admitted a couple weeks ago that he is more of a game manager than an offensive gunslinger. With Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead at running back, the Patriots don’t need to rely on Brady as much as they used to. Throw in slot receivers in Julian Edelman and Mohamed Sanu and Brady doesn’t need to throw all too far. That’s what the recipe for success has been so far this season for the McDaniels/Brady-led offense.

TW: If you put the Patriots defense on any 2-9 or worse team in the NFL, which of those teams would immediately have a winning record?

Wow. That is certainly a tough one. If I had to put this New England defense on any of the bottom-of-barrel teams in the NFL, I would put it on the New York Giants.

Rookie Daniel Jones has had an up-and-down first season as the new quarterback in New York, but he has shown glimpses of hope and talent for a positive future. Saquon Barkley is also an elite running back. Golden Tate is not all that bad of a receiver. Evan Engram is a star tight end.

The Giants have the pieces on offense that could have a winning record if they had New England’s defense.

TW: What do Patriots fans have to complain about?

Patriots fans have nothing to complain about. The team is 10-1 even while it has had a good amount of injury woes. Brady said this week that New England is just getting started. Patriots fans should be pumped.

tw: what is your prediction? do you have any bold predictions?

I think this game will be close and the Patriots will have some first-half trouble with Deshaun Watson. But with just how successful New England is at making halftime adjustments, I see New England overcoming those troubles in the second half to win the game. Patriots 27, Texans 21

4 things Texans fans should be thankful for this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday to reflect on things to be thankful for. Here are four items Houston Texans fans should add to the list for 2019.

As Houston Texans fans prepare themselves to indulge into their Thanksgiving traditions, eating their favorite dishes, and enjoying family time, they have plenty to be thankful for on the gridiron. Their hometown club is first place in the AFC South with a 7-4 record. Here are four items Texans fans need to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

4. rb carlos hyde

texans-rb-carlos-hyde-love-peter-king — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Hyde has reestablished his career after being traded to Houston for Martinas Rankin. Through the first 11 games, Hyde has rushed for 76.0 yards per game, his most since the 2016 season, and the Texans have benefited from his resurgence as they are tied with the Seattle Seahawks for the sixth-best rushing team in the league at 136.9 yards per game.

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5 things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving holiday

There is a lot to be grateful for in boxing. Here are five things that make me feel fortunate on Thanksgiving.

We all have a lot to be grateful for on this Thanksgiving. Here are five things in the boxing world that make me feel fortunate.

A heavyweight who can knock out a Tyrannosaurus rex. I can understand where the purists are coming from. Deontay Wilder doesn’t have the sublime skill set that normally separates the great fighters from the rest. All I know is how I feel when Wilder lands those bombs to end his fights instantly. There is nothing like it in sports. I’m going to enjoy him as long as he’s around.
The spirit of the underdog. The oddsmakers generally know what they’re doing when they make one fighter a favorite – sometimes a prohibitive favorite – over another fighter. Thank goodness not every underdog buys into the prevailing wisdom. I think we’re all inspired by the fighters who overcome the odds, the “Rockys,” if you will. I’m thinking of you Andy Ruiz Jr. and Julian Williams.
The talent at the top: Non-fans ask me occasionally, “What happened to boxing? Where are the great fighters?” They’re there. Uber-talents like Vassiliy Lomachenko, Terence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez, Naoya Inoue, Oleksandr Usyk, Gennadiy Golovkin, Errol Spence, et al would’ve been successful in any era and are a joy to watch. I just wish more sports fans were aware of that.
An abundance of dates. The dying sport certainly produces a lot of shows, both on television and streaming services. ESPN, ESPN+, Fox, Showtime, DAZN and others have made major investments in the sport. And the quality of the cards has generally been very good. If we could only keep MMA fighters and YouTubers out of the picture.
The fighters themselves. They will always be what I’m most grateful for. These young (sometimes not-so-young) men and women risk their very well being to pursue their dreams and entertain us every time they step through the ropes. From the superstars to the journeymen, they need to know that we appreciate them and what they do. I’ll always admire them.

Behind Enemy Lines: Previewing New Orleans Saints vs. Falcons

The New Orleans Saints need to defeat the Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving night to clinch a third consecutive NFC South division title.

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The NFL’s three-game slate for Thanksgiving is headlined by the New Orleans Saints’ road trip to play the Atlanta Falcons; despite Atlanta’s sorry record (the Falcons are 3-8 on the year so far, and a combined 21-24 in the years since they blew a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI) this game has big implications for both teams. A Falcons loss could signal the end for embattled head coach Dan Quinn; it would also allow the Saints to clinch their third straight NFC South title and punch their ticket for the playoffs.

So with so much on the line, we reached out to Matt Urben over at Falcons Wire to get the best-informed perspective. Here’s what he had to say in our Q&A:

1. The Falcons handed out a beat down to the Saints and Panthers in back to back weeks, but Jameis Winston and the Bucs beat them in a boat race last Sunday. Have the Falcons found some winning strategies coming out of the bye or are they simply executing better?

It’s been a little bit of both, honestly. A lot was made of Dan Quinn relinquishing defensive coordinator duties to Jeff Ulbrich and Raheem Morris, but it comes down to the players executing and playing with confidence. The Falcons also moved Ricardo Allen to strong safety during the bye week and the coaching staff has credited him with improving the defensive communication by getting to play more in the box.

2. Julio Jones has missed two days of practice, as has starting tight end Austin Hooper. What’s the plan if neither of Matt Ryan’s top weapons can play Thursday?

Austin Hooper is almost certainly out, but Julio Jones is still a mystery. Missing practice or being limited early in the week has been pretty common for Jones, but he was noticeably in pain while playing through a shoulder injury in Week 12.Calvin Ridley has stepped up with Hooper out and has built great chemistry with Matt Ryan. Also, second-year WR Russell Gage had a career-best eight catches for 76 yards last week.

3. How is the new defensive play calling approach working? It gave the Saints trouble with six sacks against Drew Brees, but are they still getting pressure often?

The Falcons had just seven total sacks entering that Week 10 upset, and combined for 11 over the next two weeks. Desmond Trufant’s return has helped in the secondary, but the team we saw play in Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers looked a lot like the one fans grew accustomed to seeing during those first eight weeks. Atlanta did not record a sack, but did intercept Jameis Winston twice. It wasn’t a complete drop off in terms of pressure, the team just came up short of making plays when they had the chance to.

4. What is the biggest possible difference Saints fans will pick up on in this rematch of the game they saw just a few weeks ago?

Something that may have been overlooked in that Week 10 game was just how well Atlanta’s offensive line played against a very good Saints defense. The Falcons kept things going with another stellar performance up front in Week 11.The Bucs brought them back to earth on Sunday, however, and they could struggle to protect Ryan after getting exposed last week. I expect Sean Payton to have a better game-plan this time, and to attack some of the same areas he saw Bruce Arians, go after in the Falcons secondary.

5. Alright, who’s winning this thing? What is your final score prediction?

This is one of those games that while my head says the Saints will win, my gut tells me the Falcons may get up for this one the way they did three weeks ago when these teams met. I’ll go with my head, though, and say New Orleans wins, 27-23.

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Mikey Garcia vs. Jessie Vargas? A few thoughts on that concept

Does talk of a fight between Mikey Garcia and Jessie Vargas on DAZN mean Manny Pacquiao plans to fight Danny Garcia?

A welterweight fight between Mikey Garcia and Jessie Vargas for the first quarter of next year has been discussed, according to The Athletic. The fight would be streamed on DAZN.

Promoter Eddie Hearn, who works with DAZN, has been courting Garcia for some time in hopes of signing him to a multi-fight deal, The Athletic reported. If he’s successful, a meeting with Vargas could kick off the relationship.

Two takeaways from that report:

One, Garcia told me a few years ago that he had no interest in signing a long-term deal with anyone after his relationship with then-promoter Bob Arum soured. Garcia sat out 2½ years waiting for his contract with Arum to end and become a free agent.

Of course, things change. The guaranteed money might be too tempting to resist now for whatever reason. We’ll see.

Two, Garcia has been mentioned as a possible opponent for Manny Pacquiao. I’m guessing that Pacquiao has decided to keep it in the PBC family and fight the other Garcia, Danny, a legitimate 147-pounder who might be seen as a more legitimate threat than Mikey. Mikey Garcia is coming off a one-sided loss to Errol Spence.

Again, we’ll see.

Floyd Mayweather is a wildcard. If he’s serious about a comeback, a rematch with Pacquiao would be a bonanza for both fighters. Pacquiao certainly would jump at the opportunity.

Would Mayweather, 42, really risk his perfect record? Doubtful. Exhibitions or another “fight” against an MMA star, maybe; a sanctioned boxing match, no.

That said, “Money” loves money. Anything is possible.