The New England Patriots will finally play some meaningful football. The Patriots face off against the Houston Texans in Week 1 and will be looking to make a statement.
It may signify the end of summer, but everyone is glad that football is back. The New England Patriots face off against the Houston Texans in their first game of the season. It will definitely be a fun game to watch.
The Texans are a quality opponent. They have one of the best defenses in the NFL. J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney can terrorize quarterbacks. Deshaun Watson can do the same on offense running all over the field.
Now since we are all expecting that the New England Patriots will come out on top, let’s make some bold predictions.
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Sony Michel will run for 100 yards
This is a bold prediction because Sony Michel is a rookie playing in his first game. When you add in the fact that Michel is questionable to even play in the game it seems impossible, but I think Michel can do it.
Michel is a great combo of speed and power. If Michel plays I think he should get a majority of the carries. Jeremy Hill was the only running back that was successful on the ground in the preseason, and he is more of a between the hash marks back.
Hill will run you over and leave you 6 feet under the turf, but Michel can juke defenders out of their shoes. Michel is also a quality receiver out of the backfield.
With Julian Edelman suspended, the Patriots will need as many pass catchers as possible. This is another reason I think Michel will run for over 100 yards. I expect James White to line up as a receiver plenty of times. He has proven throughout his time in New England that he can be relied upon to make big catches.
So I expect Michel to get plenty of carries and hopefully he will prove why he was drafted in the first round.
Deshaun Watson will be held to under 250 total yards
The reason this prediction is so bold is because the New England Patriots defense hasn’t been great as of late. The last time we saw them Nick Foles was making New England’s defense look like garbage. No one could make a tackle and no one could stop the Eagles offense.
This season I think things will be different. The Patriots should have a much better pass rush. Adrian Clayborn will add some pressure off the edge, and with Dont’a Hightower at 100 percent, he can be a spy on Watson.
The main thing for the Patriots is keeping Watson in front of them. If Watson gets to the 2nd level he may be taking it all the way to the end zone.
Another important factor for this prediction to come true is the secondary. DeAndre Hopkins is a top receiver in the NFL. He is a deep threat who can take the top off a defense.
This will be a big test for Stephon Gilmore. He no longer has Malcolm Butler to take care of him. Gilmore has to be a shutdown corner. If he can’t stop Hopkins, the Patriots are screwed.
Tom Brady will be held to under 250 passing yards
Gasp! how could you dare challenge the greatest quarterback ever? Well, there are a lot of reasons that Tom Brady may not have a great game.
Brady will be without his favorite weapon in Julian Edelman. Since Edelman is out, defenses will focus in on Rob Gronkowski. That leaves guys like Chris Hogan and Phillip Dorsett to pick up the slack. I don’t know if I’m too confident in them.
With the Texans also having a great defense, things could be tough for Brady. I expect him to be on the ground a lot. The Patriots offensive line isn’t anything special and J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney could cause chaos.
Soon enough we will be seeing the Patriots on the field at Gilette Stadium. Week 1 will definitely be a fun game to watch. These two teams can make some exciting plays.
Hopefully, at the end of the game the Patriots will come out on top.