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Courtesy of NFL Communications, I give you these numbers, notes, and food for thought as your Houston Texans prepare to attempt something that hasn't been done in 13+ years when the New England Patriots visit NRG Stadium on Sunday evening.
SERIES
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PATRIOTS |
TEXANS |
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SERIES LEADER |
4-1 |
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STREAKS |
2 of past 3 |
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COACHES VS. OPP. |
Bill Belichick: 5-1 |
Bill O’ Brien: 0-0 |
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LAST WEEK |
L 35-28 vs. Eagles |
L 30-21 at Bills |
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LAST GAME |
12/1/13: Patriots 34 at Texans 31. New England QB Tom Brady throws for 371 yards & 2 TDs (104.8 passer rating). Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski has 6 receptions for 127 yards & TD. |
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LAST GAME AT SITE |
12/1/13 |
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REFEREE |
Jeff Triplette |
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BROADCAST |
NBC (7:30 PM CT): Al Michaels, Chris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya (field reporter). Westwood One: Kevin Kugler, James Lofton. SIRIUS: X88 (WW1), 83 (NE), 93 (Hou). XM: 88 (WW1), 225 (NE), 226 (Hou). |
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STATS
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PASSING |
Brady: 323-507-3912 (1L)-31 (1L)-6-102.8 (3C) |
Hoyer: 188-307-2202-18-6-94.4 |
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RUSHING |
Blount: 155-650-4.2-6 (T3C) |
Blue: 127-444-3.5-2 |
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RECEIVING |
Amendola: 56-582-41-3 |
Hopkins: 86 (2C)-1169 (3L)-13.6-10 (T3L) |
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OFFENSE |
404.3 (3L) |
361.5 |
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TAKE/GIVE |
+5 (3C) |
-1 |
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DEFENSE |
341.2 |
332.3 (3C) |
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SACKS |
Cha. Jones: 10.5 (3L) |
Watt: 13.5 (1L) |
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INTs |
Ryan: 4 |
Hal: 3 |
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PUNTING |
Allen: 44.5 |
Lechler: 47.0 |
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KICKING |
Gostkowski: 115 (T1L) (43/43 PAT; 24/25 FG) |
Novak: 45 (21/23 PAT; 8/9 FG) |
TEXANS:
In his past 8 games, QB BRIAN HOYER has passed for 1,966 yards, 17 TDs, 5 INTs, and a 97.1 rating. Hoyer has 2+ TD passes in 7 of his past 8 games, including 293 yards and 3 TDs last week against the Bills. The QB spent three seasons in New England from 2009 to 2011.
RB ALFRED BLUE has 80+ yards from scrimmage in two of his last three games.
RB CHRIS POLK led the team with a career-high 61 rushing yards last week.
In his past 10 games, WR DEANDRE HOPKINS has 72 catches for 1,018 yards and 8 TDs. Hopkins has 5 TDs in his past five games, including 88 yards and a TD last week in Buffalo. Nuk had 2 receptions for 77 yards in his only career meeting against the Patriots back in 2013.
In his past 3 games, WR CECIL SHORTS III has 228 total yards (21 passing, 47 rushing, 160 receiving) and 2 TDs (1 passing, 1 receiving).
TE RYAN GRIFFIN aims for his third game in a row with a TD catch.
In his past 17 games, J.J. WATT has 24.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 safety, 7 PDs, and a TD catch. Since he entered the league in 2011, Watt leads the NFL with 70.5 sacks.
LB WHITNEY MERCILUS has 6.5 sacks in his past 7 games.
LB JADEVEON CLOWNEY has 0.5+ sacks in three of his past five games, including 1 sack last week.
PATRIOTS:
New England looks to clinch its seventh consecutive AFC East title, which would tie the 1973-79 Rams for the longest streak in NFL history.
Last week, QB TOM BRADY (423) eclipsed Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (420) for the third-most TD passes in NFL history. Brady currently leads the NFL with 31 TD passes. He is one of four NFL players to have 6+ seasons with 30+ TDs.
RB LEGARRETTE BLOUNT (3,908) needs 92 rushing yards to reach 4,000 for his career.
Last week, RB JAMES WHITE had career-highs in receptions (10) and receiving yards (115). White has 3 TDs in his past 3 games (2 receiving, 1 rushing).
In his past 3 games, WR DANNY AMENDOLA has 26 catches for 258 yards and a TD.
In his only career meeting with the Texans, TE ROB GRONKOWSKI had 6 catches for 127 yards and a TD. Gronk has 15 TDs in his past 17 games (including playoffs). Since 2010, Gronkowski leads the NFL with 63 TD receptions.
TE SCOTT CHANDLER has a TD in three of his past four games. He had 4 catches for 61 yards and a TD versus the Eagles.
DE CHANDLER JONES ranks second in the AFC and third in the NFL with 10.5 sacks.
LB JEROD MAYO had his first sack of the season last week.
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