3 keys to the New England Patriots beating the Houston Texans

The New England Patriots face another division leader – and one of the toughest teams in the AFC – this week in the Houston Texans.

Much has been said and written about the New England Patriots‘ tough stretch of their regular season schedule, and with good reason.

The Patriots began this slate in Week 9 versus the Baltimore Ravens – some even suggested it began Week 8 against the Cleveland Browns – and it has continued against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. The Pats face the Houston Texans this week on the road, then return home for a tantalizing matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Once those two games are complete, the schedule lightens back up considerably with games versus the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, and Miami Dolphins to wrap things up. The Bills certainly looked impressive in their win over the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, but it’s a stretch to think they’ll come into Foxborough and clobber the Patriots in Week 16 with so much on the line in the division still.

First things first, however, the Pats must tango with the Texans in primetime this weekend. It seems like New England and Houston face off at least once a year – probably because both teams so often finish in first place in their respective divisions. The Pats have lost just once to Houston in the history of both franchises, and that came in a relatively meaningless game that Tom Brady didn’t even finish.

For this streak to stay alive though, the Pats are going to need a whole lot more from their offense than they’ve been getting for months now. The 2019 New England offensive attack is mediocre at best, and it’s clear to anyone with eyes that the only reason the Patriots are 10-1 right now is because of their defense and special teams.

Here are the three keys to a New England Patriots victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football in Week 13: