With the nervous jeers of Northeastern football lovers surrounding him, QB Deshaun Watson was under setter facing third and 1 on the Patriots 18-yard line in Gillette Stadium. Like so many unsuccessful times before, RB Lamar Miller unsurprisingly tried to run straight up the middle and got stuffed by waiting defensive linemen. Fourth and one.
But instead of making the gutsy call deciding to go for it to ensure a victory against the reigning champions, Coach Bill O’Brien rejected taking the chance and called for the field goal unit. K Ka’imi Fairbairn then kicked a 36-yard field goal to make it a five point game, 33-28.
Not long thereafter did Tom Brady concoct a 75- yard drive to win the game, adding on to his 378 yards and five touchdowns while going 25-35 on passing attempts.
Despite this masterful performance, the Texans dropped the ball in several key areas, contributing to this hard-fought loss (including when SS Corey Moore literally dropped an interception thrown to him on the last drive).
The major issue was that the DBs performances were simply disappointing. They allowed five touchdown passes and permitted Patriot receivers to make easy catches throughout the entire game-winning drive and allowing almost 400 yards passing on the day.
Although coaching was good throughout three and a half quarters, the coaches, mainly Bill O’Brien must do better to ensure the success of the team. Along with the previously mentioned gutless call to kick a field goal with two minutes left, Bill O’Brien also failed to call a timeout in the fourth quarter immediately after Deandre Hopkins caught a pass at Houston’s 46-yard line, wasting ten seconds and only leaving 3 seconds left on the clock for the Texans to win the game.
With O’Brien as both the head coach and the Offensive Coordinator, one has to wonder if taking on both jobs is hindering the other.
Despite the weak points, the Houston Texans held their own against the perennial Super Bowl contenders. Led by rookie Deshaun Watson, who with 301 yards and two touchdowns continues to prove himself as a legitimate quarterback, the Texans gave themselves a solid chance to win the game with solid Wide Receiver, Linebacker and Special Teams play.
WR Deandre Hopkins had seven catches for 76 yards along with TE Ryan Griffin with 61 yards on five carries.
The defense had five sacks on the day with seven tackles for loss, putting much needed pressure on Brady, while rookie Ka’imi Fairbairn continued to be perfect, nailing four field goals.
Up next the 1-2 Texans face Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans Oct. 1. With Sophomore WR Will Fuller returning after breaking his collarbone Aug. 3, Deandre Hopkins is no longer our only reliable WR. Last year Fuller’s game winning punt return for a TD against the Titans was the first for the Texans since 2009.
Despite improved quarterback play and added offensive weapons, the Texans’ secondary must step up against Mariota, or they are in danger of sinking to the bottom of the division (they are tied for last now).
Before last week’s game the whole Texans team locked arms to show unity in the face of President Trump’s comments. Though it remains
unknown if they will do this again, the Texans definetly need to show the heart and grit they did last week following the display.
This win will take extreme effort from all fronts. The front seven, led by JJ Watt must step up to pressure and hit lightweight Mariota; Deshaun Watson must keep the rookie mistakes to a minimum as he continues to think on his feet, and Bill O’ Brien must not make the perennial clock mamangement mistakes that cost us last week’s game.
