Houston Texans cornerback Bradley Roby got a big interception on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on Sunday Night Football.
Where had Bradley Roby been the last seven weeks?
The free agent cornerback jumped a route on third-and-4 Sunday night as the Houston Texans battled the New England Patriots. Roby picked off quarterback Tom Brady and returned the interception all the way to the New England 6-yard line.
However, there was an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Roby for excessive celebration that backed up the Texans’ starting position to the 21-yard line. Nonetheless, it was great starting position for the Texans to do something about the Patriots’ 3-0 lead. On the ensuing drive, Watson threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to running back Duke Johnson to give Houston a 7-3 lead with 45 seconds to go in the first quarter.
The Houston Texans and New England Patriots face off for Week 13 on Sunday Night Football. Can’t follow along conventionally? We have you covered.
The Houston Texans and the New England Patriots will square off on Sunday Night Football from NRG Stadium. Follow along for updates live from NRG Stadium.
The New England Patriots (10-1) bring their AFC East-leading squad to NRG Stadium to take on the AFC South-leading Texans (7-4). New England won 27-20 at Gillette Stadium last year and owns both AFC Divisional Playoff victories between these two teams. The Texans only win was nearly a decade ago in 2010, when they edged the Patriots 34-27 in Houston. The Patriots are 10-1 all-time vs. Texans.
Tom Brady is frustrated with the offensive production of the Patriots, and rightfully so. The team posted 20 points in a loss to the Ravens, 17 the following week in a win against the Eagles, and beat the Cowboys 13-9 in a defensive battle this past weekend. Brady completed 17 of 37 passes for 190 yards and one touchdown. Sony Michel rushed for 85 yards and Julian Edelman was the leading receiver with 93 yards. The offensive depth chart is incredibly thin due to injuries. This unit will need to get going, as the defense can only carry them for so long.
This year we’ve seen stellar defenses in the NFL, including the 49ers and the Patriots. Lamar Jackson proved that New England’s group isn’t perfect, but he’s been doing that to opponents all season long. The unit held the Cowboys No. 1 scoring offense to zero touchdowns in the game and Dak Prescott to a mere 212 yards passing, while also tossed an interception. All-Pro wide receiver Amari Cooper was unable to reel in any receptions for the first time in his career as a Cowboy. Dallas converted only two of 13 third-down attempts as well. The Patriots defense simply shutdown the Cowboys and will face another tough offense in the Houston Texans.
After a 41-7 beatdown at the hands of the Ravens, the Texans narrowly defeated the Colts 20-17 last weekend. If they thought it was difficult scoring points on Indy, it won’t get any easier when the Patriots come rolling into town with their defense that ranks second in total defense (256.4 YPG) and passing yards allowed (158 YPG). Last weekend, Watson threw for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns. Will Fuller had his second-best game of the season with seven catches for 140 yards, while DeAndre Hopkins added six receptions for 94 yards and two scores. Can this offensive line protect Watson and give him time to throw the ball to his talented wide receivers? Will they be able to get running back Carlos Hyde going to set up the play-action pass? How they respond to these questions will be crucial to their success on Sunday.
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The Houston Texans and New England Patriots square off on Sunday Night Football. Is going against the Texans the safe bet to make for Week 13?
The Houston Texans and the New England Patriots square off for a Sunday Night Football affair that features one of the faces of new quarterback play in Deshaun Watson versus the old guard at signal caller in Tom Brady. Though the Texans are 7-4 and have not beaten the 10-1 Patriots since a meaningless Week 17 game at the end of the 2009 season, there is a sense of optimism that Houston could take down New England.
If there were any time in the history of this rivalry — on-sided rivalry — for the Texans to win this game, it’s this Sunday night. The problem for the Texans is that the Patriots are coming in hot on defense and probably angry on offense.
This will be the first week in the past three that the Patriots are playing in good weather since the game will be in a dome. It also doesn’t help that the Houston defense hasn’t been good since J.J. Watt went down.
Everyone is saying that the Patriots may struggle with Deshaun Watson since he’s a mobile quarterback, but they’ve played mobile quarterbacks outside of Lamar Jackson and done just fine.
Bill O’Brien is 0-5 against Bill Belichick. If you want to bet that will change, feel free. I won’t be doing it.
O’Brien, along with defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel and Dolphins coach Brian Flores, are the only former Belichick assistants to not get a win against their old boss.
The Texans have come close in each of their last two contests against the Patriots with a 36-33 loss in Week 3 of 2017, Watson’s second career start, and a 27-20 loss in Week 1 of the 2018 season. If nothing else, the Texans should keep it close and have a chance to win the ballgame.
The Houston Texans can’t let up even one bit during a play against the New England Patriots, who boast an opportunistic defense.
The Houston Texans face off against the New England Patriots Sunday night at 7:20 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium in what is considered a litmus test for where the first place AFC South club ranks against the best of the conference.
Offensive coordinator Tim Kelly knows what makes the Patriots a tough team to face, especially their defense, which is the second-best defense in the NFL and also the most proficient at creating takeaways with 29 on the season.
“They’re very disciplined, they’re very well coached,” Kelly told reporters on Wednesday. “They play hard to the echo of the whistle, all 11 of them, and they’re very opportunistic. They take advantage of your mistakes. They’re lighting the world on fire when it comes to creating turnovers right now, and they’re doing a good job of capitalizing, like I said, when people make mistakes. That’s really the reason why they’re playing really well right now.”
Houston is tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 13th-fewest turnovers in the NFL with 14. In the Texans’ past three games, they have committed at least one turnover. For the Patriots defense, they have created at least one takeaway in every game this season, including six against the New York Jets in Week 7.
If the Texans can’t avoid the Patriots defense procuring extra possession, then the Houston defense will have to limit New England’s point production off those turnovers or create a few themselves. In 2019, the Texans are 5-3 when they are even or minus in turnover differential compared to 2-1 when they win it outright.
New England’s lone loss of the season, a 37-20 affair against the Baltimore Ravens, saw the first place AFC East club finish even with the Ravens in the turnover battle with each side collecting two takeaways. Houston similarly will have to stay even or better in the turnover department to give themselves a chance for victory.
51. Belichick is 10-1 against the Texans. Compared to all other AFC clubs outside the AFC East, as Patriots coach, this is the second-best record against another AFC club. The only other club Belichick has owned as Patriots coach are the Jacksonville Jaguars with an 8-1 mark.
52. Belichick is 14-10 against former assistants, including playoffs.
53. Belichick is 74-28 in December with a 33-18 record on the road.
54. Belichick is 54-24 in prime time with a 25-17 record on the road.
55. Belichick is 1/4 active head coaches hired in the 2000s and still with the same team. The other three coaches are John Harbaugh, Mike Tomlin, and Sean Payton.
56. Since 2002, when divisions were last realigned, Belichick is 38-9 against the AFC South, including playoffs. Here is how that compares to the rest of the AFC sans the East:
AFC South: 38-9
AFC North: 31-9
AFC West: 29-15
57. Belichick is 48/120 on challenges for his career with an 0/3 rate in 2019.
58. Belichick has challenged nothing related to pass interference.
59. The Patriots are tied with the Eagles for the sixth-fewest penalties in the NFL with 68.
60. The Patriots are eighth-lowest in the NFL in red zone conversions at 47.8%.
61. The Patriots have gone for it one fourth down just seven times in 2019, the fourth-fewest in the NFL.
62. The Patriots have the best average starting field position in the NFL at their own 34.2-yard line.
The Houston Texans and New England Patriots face off on Sunday Night Football. Next, we look at facts surrounding Tom Brady and Bill O’Brien.
The Houston Texans and the New England Patriots will face off on Sunday Night Football at NRG Stadium on Dec. 1. For the Texans, it is a nice measuring stick game to see how the first place squad in the AFC South would fare against the best of the conference.
Next, we take a look at Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Texans coach Bill O’Brien.
26. Brady’s 1.1 interception percentage is the sixth-lowest in the NFL.
27. Brady’s 3.9 sack percentage is the third-lowest in the NFL.
28. Brady’s 267.5 passing yards per game are the 10th-highest in the NFL.
29. Brady is 1/11 quarterbacks to have thrown two-plus red zone interceptions this season.
30. Brady’s 58.2 completion percentage in the red zone is the eighth-highest in the NFL among quarterbacks who have started every game this year.
31. Brady is tied with Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson, Jacoby Brissett, and Andy Dalton for the fourth-most red zone rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with three.
32. Brady is tied for the seventh-most interceptions thrown on third down with three.
33. Brady has the sixth-most third down conversions in the air 44.
34. Brady is 7-1 against the Texans, an .875 winning percentage. Among AFC teams not in the Patriots’ division, this is the highest against one opponent with five or more games played.
35. Brady has a 104.5 career passer rating against the Texans. Among quarterbacks with four or more starts against Houston, this is the second-highest in club history. The top spot belongs to Peyton Manning at 108.9.
36. The Texans have sacked Brady 19 times, which are the fifth-most against any one particular opponent.
37. The Texans’ 21 sacks of Brady are the third-most in Brady’s career among teams outside the AFC East. Only the Broncos (28) and Steelers (25) have sacked Brady more.
38. The only game Brady lost to the Texans was on Jan. 3, 2010 in the season finale when Houston beat New England 34-27. Brady completed 17-of-26 for 186 yards and an interception as he was pulled midway through the second quarter to stay fresh for the playoffs.
39. Brady is one of three active NFL players to have played before the formation of the Texans franchise. The other two players are Drew Brees and Adam Vinatieri.
The Houston Texans and the New England Patriots get ready for battle on Sunday Night Football, and we have the facts to whet your appetite.
The Houston Texans and the New England Patriots will meet on Sunday Night Football for one of the more exciting matchups of Week 13. Football fans should be thankful for another bout between a young gun in Deshaun Watson and the old guard in Tom Brady.
series facts
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1. The Texans are 7-4 for the first time in team history.
2. Since 1990, when playoff formats were last tinkered with, 68/124 teams that started 7-5 made the playoffs with 24 of them having won the division.
3. Since 1990, when playoff formats were last reformatted, 83/102 teams that started 8-4 made the playoffs with 44 of those teams having won the division.
4. The Patriots are 10-1 for the third time in team history. The two previous teams made the playoffs (2015, 2004) with the 2004 team having won the Super Bowl. Neither achieved home-field advantage.
5. Since 1990, when playoff formats were last reformatted, here are the final fates of 11-1 teams:
Lost divisional 7/18
Lost conference title game: 7/18
Lost Super Bowl: 2/18
Won Super Bowl: 2/18
6. Since 1990, when playoff formats were last tinkered with, here are the final fates of 10-2 teams:
Lost wild-card: 2/42
Lost divisional: 9/42
Lost conference title game: 13/42
Lost Super Bowl: 8/42
Won Super Bowl: 10/42
7. The Texans are 1-10 against the Texans with a 1-3 mark at home.
8. The Texans are 14-23 in prime time games with a 9-10 record at home.
9. The Patriots are 71-50 in prime time games with a 32-33 record on the road.
10. The Texans are 32-44 in December games with an 18-16 record at home.
11. The Patriots are 127-88 in December games, including playoffs, with a 60-62 record on the road.
12. The Patriots are 37-42-1 in the Central Time Zone, including playoffs, with a 7-6 record in prime time.
The NFC playoff picture says New Orleans Saints fans must hope the San Francisco 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football.
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The San Francisco 49ers are about to host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, and interested New Orleans Saints fans should check the NFC playoff picture to know who to pull for: the home team. Like it or not, Saints fans should pull for a 49ers victory. Here’s why.
Now that the Saints have improved to a 9-2 record, they’re right in the thick of the race for a top-two playoff seed with both the 49ers (9-1) and Packers (8-2). If San Francisco defends their home turf, they’ll be set up to play the Saints for the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs during their Week 14 game inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. That’s as close to controlling their own destiny as the Saints can hope for at this point.
However, if the Packers win, the Saints will have to hope another team can knock Green Bay out of that top spot. The Saints and Packers will not play each other during the regular season, so New Orleans would effectively be putting its playoff hopes in another team’s hands.
And the Packers’ schedule is very favorable — of their six remaining games, only two come against teams currently projected to reach the playoffs: Sunday night’s game with the 49ers, and a Week 16 road kickoff against the NFC North-rival Minnesota Vikings. If the Packers win tonight and take a lead over the Saints for the NFC’s top seed, they could very well hold onto it and create a scenario where the Saints have to travel to Lambeau Field in January for rights to advance to Super Bowl LIV.
Obviously that’s not an ideal scenario. So for one night, pull for the 49ers, the Saints’ old NFC West rivals. It’s for the greater good.
For the curious, here’s what the NFC playoff standings look like going into Sunday Night Football:
Arguably the most exciting matchup of Week 12 and a potential NFC Championship game preview, the Green Bay Packers head West to take on the San Francisco 49ers Sunday evening in primetime. With both teams having a combined record of 17-3, this clash of two of the most successful teams in the NFL this season could go a long way toward deciding who will have home-field advantage in the NFC during the postseason.
Green Bay is coming off of its bye week, with its last game being a dramatic 24-16 victory in the snow over the Carolina Panthers. Aaron Jones was the difference maker in that game for the Packers, rushing for 93 yards and three touchdowns to help the Packers get a win in a game where Aaron Rodgers was largely held in check. Against the red-hot 49ers, the ability to find ways to score even if Rodgers isn’t at his best will be imperative, just like last week.
San Francisco got a 36-26 win over the Arizona Cardinals its last time out. It was the 49ers second win over the Cardinals in their last three games. The Niners were down 16-0 in the game, but stormed back and got a game-winning score with under a minute to play. Jimmy Garropolo threw for 424 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions in the win, but will need to avoid turnovers to take full advantage of Green Bay’s struggling secondary.
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