Patriots vs. Texans: Three Week 14 Stars of the Game

Dan Schmelzer

Dec 13, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots running back James White (28) celebrates with quarterback Tom Brady (12) and teammates after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The primary stars for the New England Patriots in their Week 14 victory over the Houston Texans.

After back-to-back losses, and an increasingly alarming injury report, things have not been looking great for the New England Patriots. However, they stepped up and took care of business on Sunday night, coming away with an impressive 27-6 victory over the Houston Texans.

With the win over Houston in the bag, New England now sits atop the AFC standing with a record of 11-2. With Bill Belichick and Tom Brady leading the way, the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC will likely continue to go through New England this season. They hit a bump in the road the past couple of week, as the injuries became too numerous to overcome, but the Patriots appear to have gotten back on track.

It was a true team effort for the Patriots on Sunday night, with players stepping up all over the field on both sides of the ball. The Texans are a talented team with superstar players on both sides of the ball. Belichick and his staff implemented a strong game plan to takeaway the Texans’ premier players, and the Patriots’ players executed it with near perfection.

This was a strong effort team-wide, but as always there are players who stand out. Which Patriots’ players stepped up and made the biggest impact on against the Texans on Sunday night?

Next: A Returning Superstar

Star Number Three: TE Rob Gronkowski

Dec 13, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) catches a touchdown pass past Houston Texans strong safety Quintin Demps (27) during the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

After missing only one week with his knee injury, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski came back in a big way on Sunday night. Gronk caught all four passes thrown his way against the Texans for a game-leading 87 yards.

The Patriots did hold Gronkowski back a bit in his return to action, but he still played in 42 of the Patriots’ 69 offensive snaps, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. The Patriots did not give Gronkowski a full load in his first game back, but he looked perfectly capable of handling it if they needed him to.

He made an immediate impact in the passing game, making his first catch in the first quarter on the Patriots’ second drive. After rolling out to the right, Brady was able to find a wide-open Gronkowski across the field for a huge 45-yard completion to open the drive. That play quickly led to the Patriots’ first score of the game, giving them a 7-0 lead.

Late in the first half, Gronkowski made another big play, bringing in a one-yard touchdown reception right before the teams went into halftime. The Patriots motioned Gronkowski out-wide and he man-handled Texans’ safety Quintin Demps on a fade route. That touchdown was the perfect example of Gronk being the biggest match-up nightmare in the NFL. Simply undependable in those situations.

Brady was able to find Gronkowski one time in the second half, this time deep over the middle of the field. Gronk showed off his run after catch ability on the play, racing down field for 35 yards. He was able to reach his top speed on the play, showing no issues from the knee injury.

Gronkowski was not only the Patriots’ leading receiver in his return, but his presence on the field opened things up for everyone else. Simply being out there forces the defense to key on Gronkowski. He is a physical freak who demands a ton of attention. Whether he sees the ball or not does not matter, because Gronk will always open up opportunities for others as well.

His presence in the passing game is obvious, but do not discount Gronkowski’s work in the Patriots’ rushing attack. Gronk is one of the best run blocking tight ends in the NFL, and his blocking immediately makes the running game more effective. The Patriots ran a lot of misdirection running plays at the Texans on Sunday night. Gronkowski was among those featured as a lead blocker.

Simply put, Gronkowski is one of the best players in the NFL, and his presence on the field is ultra-important to the Patriots’ offense. He showed his wide-ranging ability on Sunday, giving the Patriots what they needed to win the game.

Next: A Shut-Down Performance

Star Number Two: CB Logan Ryan

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan (26) against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Patriots’ defense is among the best defensive units in the entire NFL. They showed up in a big way on Sunday night, and the play of the secondary was once again a huge reason why.

With his succesful work on an island throughout the season, Malcolm Butler has been getting most of the attention at the corner back position for the Patriots this season. That’s for good reason too, because Butler has been incredible. However, it was his running mate, Logan Ryan who stole the show against the Texans.

Since Arian Foster went down with a season-ending injury, when it comes to the Texans’ offense, your primary concern is always WR DeAndre Hopkins. The Texans’ star receiver has grown into his own this season, truly becoming one of the best players at the position in the entire NFL. Hopkins has such a well-rounded skill-set that is difficult to defend, and he has torn up opposing defenses with regularity this season.

Well, Logan Ryan did not only hold his own, he dominated Hopkins for most of the night. Sure, Ryan received plenty of help from the Patriots’ safeties, but he followed Hopkins all over the field through most of the game, and Hopkins could never really get going.

Ryan and the Patriots held Hopkins to only three receptions on six targets. Brian Hoyer was trying to get him the ball, but Ryan always seemed to be in great position. Hopkins did end up with 52 receiving yards on the night, but 40 of those came on one play in the fourth quarter with the Patriots having the game in control. It was the only play of the night where Hopkins got the better of Ryan.

The Patriots’ defense dominated the Texans on Sunday night, and with Ryan being the primary reason they were able to take away Houston’s best player, he deserves a ton of credit for the performance. The Patriots may have found a great duo at the corner back position.

Next: Dominating Force Up Front

Star Number One: DL Jabaal Sheard

Dec 13, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Jabaal Sheard (93) sacks Houston Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer (7) and forces a fumble during the second half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Patriots were able to get consistent pressure on Hoyer throughout the game, finishing with six sacks on the night. Jabaal Sheard not only had two of those sacks, he was constantly in the back-field, forcing Hoyer to throw the ball before he wanted to.

Honorable Mentions

Dec 13, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots running back James White (28) celebrates with running back Brandon Bolden (38) after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

I really tried hard to find a way to get Akiem Hicks a mention in the three stars, but he just missed the cut. Hicks was incredible on Sunday night, absolutely dominating in the pass rush. Hicks finished with two sacks and three quarterback hits against the Texans, and will play a large role on the defensive line going forward.

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LeGarrette Blount was running the ball strong in the first half (10 carries for 53 yards) before leaving the game with a hip injury. He never returned, but Brandon Bolden stepped up admirably, finishing with 16 carries for 51 yards. James White also played well in Blount’s absence, making his mark in the receiving game with four receptions for 38 yards. White also scored on a two-yard touchdown run.

Wide receiver Keshawn Martin was active early with three receptions for 23 yards, including the Patriots’ first touchdown of the game. Martin was also doing good work on punt return duty, but muffed punt in the third quarter ruined all of his good work. Martin looked good early, and I was ready to give him credit in my post-game work, but that muffed punt was a killer. You simply cannot have that.

Jamie Collins and Jerrod Mayo were both very good at the linebacker position for the Patriots, as were Rob Ninkovich and Malcom Brown up front. All four players were keys for the Patriots in defending the run, and Collins was his usual dominant self in coverage. Ninkovich also added a sack.

Ryan was the star with his coverage on Hopkins, but Butler taking away number two receiver Nate Washington was impressive as well. The Patriots allowed Butler to defend Washington with almost no help, and he performed extremely well.

Also, the recently acquired Leonard Johnson stepped up as the team’s third corner back, and played extremely well. Johnson was lined-up on Cecil Shorts through most of the game, and Shorts only caught two passes for nine yards. Johnson’s extravagant celebrations on pass break-ups were incredibly entertaining to watch as well.

Of course, Tom Brady’s 22-for-30 performance for 226 yards and two touchdowns deserves mentioning. This may not have been the best we have seen from Brady, but he was extremely efficient, and always made the plays when the Patriots needed him to. Strong performance from Brady.

Next: Patriots Win, but Injuries Continue to Mount

When it comes down to it, this was a great overall team win for the Patriots. This team stepped up and took care of business. This was not a must win situation, but losing three in a row would have been ugly, and they rallied together to take home a dominant victory.

Dan Schmelzer

A football junkie who just wants to analyze the game and give you my thoughts. Site Expert at NFL Mocks and Scouting Academy alum.