Texans deal Pats second loss in 28-22 primetime defeat

HOUSTON — A quarterback put on a four-quarter clinic Sunday in the Patriots game. It wasn’t Tom Brady.

A lifelong, respected coach devised a defensive game plan that kept his opponent off balance most of the night. It wasn’t Bill Belichick.

A team shone in all three phases under the bright lights of a national TV broadcast. It most certainly wasn’t the Pats.

Behind Deshaun Watson’s sterling, four-touchdown performance, the Texans dropped the Patriots 28-22 on Sunday Night Football. Watson completed 18 of 25 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns, then one in the fourth quarter on a trick play that produced Houston’s final touchdown. The Texans (8-4) led for the last three quarters.

Houston defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, a former Patriots assistant and branch off the Belichick coaching tree, frustrated Brady until the fourth quarter. Brady went 24-of-47 yards for 326 yards, three touchdowns and a pick, leading the Pats (10-2) to a touchdown on their last three drives.

But they failed to recover Jake Bailey’s onside kicks that followed their final possessions and took another loss in primetime.

Before their late surge, Brady was at the controls of a seemingly broken Pats passing attack that was supposed to receive a boost from the returns of receiver Phillip Dorsett and Mohamed Sanu. Instead, Brady and Dorsett endured multiple miscommunications around two completions. Sanu caught three passes, but dropped an accurate pass on fourth-and-inches in the third quarter to turn it over.

Julian Edelman and James White remain the only trusted Patriots pass catchers and proved it again with Edelman’s game-best 106 receiving yards and White’s game-high eight receptions.

After the Texans opened up a 21-3 lead in the second half, James White caught Brady’s first two touchdown passes. However, until Edelman scored his touchdown with less than a minute left, the Pats failed to creep closer than 11.

The Patriots staked their only lead of the night after their opening series with a 23-yard field goal by new kicker Kai Forbath. Sony Michel rushed for 33 yards on the drive and played three offensive snaps for the rest of the half, giving way to Brady and pass-oriented game plan. The Pats went scoreless through halftime, punting three times and throwing a pick.

The interception belonged to Houston cornerback Bradley Roby, who undercut a Brady throw intended for rookie wideout N’Keal Harry deep in Patriots territory. Harry lazed his way through a slant and was consequently benched for most of the game. From the sideline, Harry and the Pats then watched Watson dump a short pass to running back Duke Johnson, who waltzed in 14 yards for a score.

Ahead 7-3 following a Patriots punt, Watson led a patient, 88-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Darren Fells. Houston repeatedly picked on Patriot linebackers in coverage with success. Outside, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins managed five catches for 67 yards working primarily against fellow All-Pro Stephon Gilmore.

After Sanu’s turnover on downs in the third quarter, Watson dropped a 35-yard dime over Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones for a touchdown to Will Fuller. However, the play was overturned, so on the very next snap he scrambled again and hit Kenny Stills from the same distance to go up 21-3.

After Brady’s first touchdown pass, Watson commanded a 75-yard drive that ended with him securing and scoring a 2-yard pitch from Hopkins.

Patriots center Ted Karras suffered a knee injury in the third quarter. He was replaced by James Ferentz and did not return.

The Pats rushed for a season-high 145 yards behind 79 from white and 45 courtesy of Michel.

They also fell to the No. 2 seed in the AFC, with the Ravens also moving to 10-2 on the season after their triumph over the 49ers.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2OFKdan