The Texans first two drives would go three and out while the Patriots second drive was highlighted by a 42-yard catch by Rob Gronkowski as Whitney Mercilus fell down trying to defend him.
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New England has lost two straight games. The Patriots’ pass defense allowed just 102 yards and 3.4 yards per attempt with six sacks.
ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (10-2): Star tight end Rob Gronkowski, who suffered a knee injury in an overtime loss at Denver on November 29, practiced on a limited basis Thursday for the first time since he was hurt but his status is unclear for the Texans.
“I think Bill is a great coach, one of the best that I’ve had”, Belichick said of his former employee earlier this week. Last year’s top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney had two sacks for the first multiple sack game in his career with Houston….
While the Patriots produced just 62 yards and a field goal in the third quarter, they stretched their lead to three touchdowns early in the fourth following yet another sack of Hoyer.
Hoyer was concussed in Week 10 during a Monday night game against the Bengals and reported during the game that he was having trouble remembering plays. Hoyer was 11-of-22 for 155 yards and a passer rating of 73.1.
With the Texans (6-7) pinned deep in their own territory, Sheard sacked Hoyer and forced a fumble that defensive tackle Malcom Brown recovered at the Houston 7.
The Patriots’ defensive front bludgeoned Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer throughout and helped New England clinch a seventh consecutive playoff berth with a 27-6 victory over the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.
The injury to Blount, the Patriots’ workhorse running back, was most concerning after he left the game in the second quarter with an undisclosed hip ailment after rushing for 53 yards on 10 carries, the latest setback for an offense already hampered by sidelined skill players. He did return to practice this week, along with injured wide receiver Julian Edelman.
Gronkowski simply outjumped Quintin Demps to grab a 1-yard touchdown pass just before halftime to extend New England’s lead to 17-6. The second was a 37-yard run by Jonathan Grimes.
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First quarter, 2:42 left: Nick Novak hits a 37-yard field goal and the Texans are on the board.
