Week 12 Live Blog: Patriots vs. Texans

Welcome to Week 12 Live Blog! We are cruising right along through another interesting season of NFL football, and once again the Patriots are in the thick of things, winning 10 of their first 11 games to give them a 10-1 record, the best in the NFL. The Texans are no slouch either, coming into tonight with a record of 7-4, good for 1st in the tight AFC South.

These two teams have matched up five times since 2015 with the Patriots having won all five games. DeShaun Watson and the Texans offense has weapons to give the Patriots defense a test, but do they have enough? That will decide who wins this game tonight. As far as the offensive side of the ball for New England, tonight is just another night where Brady and Co. will work to get better and on the same page.

One thing to note- the Patriots were dealing with a major illness in the locker room this week, so it should be interesting to see if that has an effect on the outcome of the game tonight. Be sure to hit that refresh button and stay with the Week 12 Live Blog for all the in-game updates and opinions you need. Enjoy the game!

FIRST QUARTER

15:00- The Patriots will kickoff, so we get a chance to see DeShaun Watson face this talented Patriots offense. 1st & 10, Texans…

14:54- Hyde runs for no gain as he slips; 2nd & 10…

14:19- Incomplete pass to Darren Fells; 3rd & 10…

14:12- Good pressure from Hightower forces the incompletion; 4th & 10 and the Texans will punt. The Patriots offense will begin their series at their own 26.

14:01- Michel runs for four; 2nd & 6…

13:24- No gain; 3rd & 6…

12:47- Edelman picks up 11 on the crossing route for the 1st down; 1st & 10 from their own 41…

12:12- Burkhead runs for maybe one; 2nd & 9…

11:36- Burkhead runs for four; 3rd & 5…

10:54- Edelman with another catch, this time for 12 more; 1st & 10…

10:12- End-around goes for a loss of one, but there was a late hit that resulted in a late hit (Mingo). Dumb penalty; 1st & 10 from the Texans 34…

9:47- Michel runs for five; 2nd & 5…

9:12- Michel runs for five more and another Patriots 1st down; 1st & 10…

8:23- Michel runs for 17 more and shows that when the hole is there, he hits it hard. 1st & Goal…

7:44- Michel runs for two; 2nd & Goal…

7:12- Brady with the rollout that is incomplete; I don’t like that play for them. 3rd & Goal…

7:07- Incomplete pass because once again nobody is open. Safeties have taken away White, Edelman is getting doubled; who are they going to throw too? 4th & Goal…

7:00- FIELD GOAL, PATRIOTS! Forbath drills his first attempt in a Patriots uniform to give New England the first score of the night. With a drive like that, it is very frustrating to leave four points on the field. They need to be able to run in the red zone. Patriots 3, Texans 0

6:59- Gain of three on the run; 2nd & 7…

6:24- Hyde runs for three; 3rd & 4…

4:51- What looked like 3rd & 2 is going to be 2nd & 14 because of a hold on Tunsil; 2nd & 14…

4:19- Fuller picks up eight on the catch; 3rd & 6…

3:36- Van Noy with the SACK!! 4th & 12…

2:49- Sanu fields it on the bounce and returns it to the Patriots 18; 1st & 10…

2:40- Sanu picks up six on 2nd & 10; 3rd & 4…

1:58- Interception, Texans. I can’t say who’s fault it was, but it’s a turnover nonetheless. 1st & 10, Texans…

1:45- Hyde with the two-yard run; 2nd & 8…

1:17- Hyde gains five more on the catch; 3rd & 3…

:38- Touchdown, Texans. The Texans can thank the Patriots for turning the ball over deep in their own end. Texans 7, Patriots 3

:35- Michel runs for three; 2nd & 7…

:00- Incomplete on the final play of the quarter; ugly stuff on offense.

SECOND QUARTER

15:00- Brady runs for 13; 1st & 10…

14:10- Brady throws it away as he’s getting sacked; 2nd & 10…

14:05- White with the catch and a gain of four; 3rd & 6…

13:23- Meyers doesn’t come close to running the route Brady wanted him to run and not one other person was open, which is ridiculous. This team might need to bite the bullet and call Antonio Brown because they have nothing at receiver besides Edelman.

12:25- Fells gains 11 on the catch; 1st & 10…

11:57- Gain of six on the run; 2nd & 4…

11:17- Watson runs for just under three, forcing a 3rd & inches…

10:50- Hyde runs for three; 1st & 10…

10:14- Gain of two on the run; 2nd & 8…

9:35- Late reaction by Hightower and the Texans pick up the 1st down; 1st & 10, and the Texans are starting to move the ball easily.

8:58- Simon had Watson sacked but couldn’t pull him down; 2nd & 10…

8:50- Bad tackling leads to a gain of 20 yards; the Patriots defense looks like garbage on this drive, but that could change quickly.

8:15- Hyde stuffed after one yard; 2nd & 9…

7:34- Hopkins picks up 12 on the catch; 1st & 10…

6:50- Nine more; this is getting ugly. 1st & 10…

6:21- Touchdown, Texans. 88-yard drive that looked easy, something we haven’t seen all year from the Patriots. Patriots fans- this upcoming drive is one of the most important of the season. The offense needs to prove to themselves that they can score points. This could get ugly tonight. Texans 14, Patriots 3

6:15- Bolden returns it to the 21; 1st & 10, Patriots…

6:10- 10-yard run by Burkhead; 1st & 10…

5:37- One step forward, ten steps back. Illegal block in the back, a drive-killing penalty. 1st & 17…

5:08- Brady took a shot downfield to Edelman, but it was incomplete. At least they are trying to go down the field; 2nd & 17…

5:02- Lacosse picks up 25 on the catch; 1st & 10…

4:31- White for two; he is a great receiver but as a runner? Yuck. 2nd & 8…

3:54- Again, they hand it to White and he gains basically nothing; 3rd & 7…

3:03- Sacked. Wow, this offense…I’m sorry Patriots fans, it stinks. 4th & 11…

2:23- SACK! Winovich made the play; 2nd & 11 and we have reached the two-minute warning in a very quickly-moving first half.

1:14- Stills picks up four on the 3rd down reception and the Patriots call a timeout. They need to score some points on this two-minute drill, anything to give them some momentum. 4th & 4…

:59- Meyers is given credit for the catch, but it is questionable if he caught it. Now they are going to look at it…it stands, 1st & 10…

:53- Miscommunication on that deep pass; 2nd & 10…

:48- Meyers picks up nine on the catch; 3rd & 1…

:44- White runs for four; 1st & 10, Patriots call a timeout.

:41- Back-shoulder throw to Dorsett is incomplete; 2nd & 10…

:36- Incomplete to Meyers; 3rd & 10…

:26- Pass is batted down; this is gross. Someone get Antonio Brown on a plane to Foxboro. 4th & 10, and the punt is downed at the five. At least they still do that right.

:15- The Texans down it and take an 11-point lead to the locker room. This is the worst the Patriots offense has looked since 2006, the last year they decided not to give Tom anyone to work with. It’s hard to score when you don’t have receivers that get open.

TEXANS 14, PATRIOTS 3

HALFTIME

THIRD QUARTER

15:00- Touchback on the kickoff and the Patriots will take over at their own 25. 1st & 10, Patriots…

14:55- Michel runs for no gain; 2nd & 10…

14:12- Interception, but the Texans were called for a hold that gives the Patriots a first down instead of a turnover. 1st & 10…

13:45- Michel runs for four; 2nd & 6…

13:27- Brady hit on the throw which causes it to sail incomplete; 3rd & 6…

13:23- Brady sacked; he missed the read on the corner fire blitz and the inept Patriots offense will be forced to punt again. The Texans will begin their series on their own 31. Texans 14, Patriots 3

12:15- SACKED! Hightower makes the sack on first down, just what this defense needed. 2nd & 19…

11:41- Pass is broken up by Jones; 3rd & 19…

11:35- 15-yard gain, but not enough for the 1st down. 4th & 4…

10:48- Sanu with the fair catch at the six and the Patriots offense will try this again. Let’s see if they can figure out a way to get the ball down the field. 1st & 10, Patriots…

10:37- Michel runs for five; 2nd & 5…

9:58- Incomplete pass to…nobody. 3rd & 5…

9:50- Sanu picks up five on the catch; 1st & 10…

9:12- White with a nice run for 32 yards; 1st & 10…

8:36- Brady almost picked again, but it falls incomplete; 2nd & 10…

8:32- White runs for six; 3rd & 4…

7:52- Sanu…seriously? How do you not get the 1st down?? 4th & Inches…

7:08- Incomplete pass to Sanu, who dropped a ball that he 1000% should have caught. The Patriots actually traded a 2nd Round pick for Sanu. That is unreal. He single-handedly ruined that drive. 1st & 10, Texans.

7:05- Run for three; 2nd & 7…

6:33- Incomplete pass to Johnson; 3rd & 7…

6:26- Stills picks up 20; 1st & 10…

5:55- Incomplete pass makes it 2nd & 10…

5:49- A touchdown is reversed after the ball wasn’t controlled; 3rd & 10…

5:41- Touchdown, Texans. Jones got burned by Stills, and now the loss of Jason McCourty is felt. Jones is a slot corner, NOT an outside guy. With the way the offense has looked for New England, this could be over. Texans 21, Patriots 3

5:36- White runs for three; 2nd & 7…

5:00- Edelman picks up eight for the rare 1st down; 1st & 10…

4:55- Yuck. Bad play design that had zero chance. 2nd & 11…

4:18- What looked like a great play…holding on Cannon. This is hard to watch tonight. 2nd & 21…

3:46- Gain of four; yay. 3rd & 17…

3:08- Old-man Bet Watson rambles 23 yards for a 1st down; not sure how they pulled that off. 1st & 10…

2:27- OPI on Edelman; 1st & 20…

2:01- Brady forced to throw it away, but the Patriots are called for another hold, this time on James White. 1st &…..30.

1:49- Edelman slips free and picks up 44 on the 1st huge play of the night for New England. 1st & 10…

1:15- Incomplete pass to White; 2nd & 10…

1:08- Dorsett picks up nine on the catch; 3rd & 1…

:57- White picks up three and a Patriots 1st down…

:25- Lacosse with the drop; 2nd & 10…

:17- Nobody. Is. Open. 3rd & 10.

:11- TOUCHDOWN, PATRIOTS!! White makes the catch on the wheel route as he was wide open (seriously?) for the score, but of course, Forbath missed the extra point. The Patriots lined up for two, decided not to do it, took the penalty, and then he hooks it left. Just line up and kick the damn ball and that doesn’t happen. Texans 21, Patriots 9

FOURTH QUARTER

14:55- Holding on Jones; automatic 1st down for the Texans…

14:12- One-yard gain by Johnson; 2nd & 9…

13:30- Johnson picks up none on the catch; 3rd & 1…false start, 3rd & 6…

12:44- Hopkins picks up 10 on the slant; 1st & 10…

12:25- Johnson runs for two; 2nd & 8…

11:14- Hopkins picks up 27 on the play; 1st & 10…

10:32- Johnson runs for three; 2nd & 7…

9:58- DPI on Elandon Roberts; 1st & Goal…

9:53- Touchdown, Texans. A double option pitch to Watson who takes it in for the back-breaking score. The Patriots defense struggles with quarterbacks that can run.

9:03- Edelman picks up 11; 1st & 10…

8:27- Brady is sacked again; 2nd & 19…

7:27- Checkdown to White for eight; 3rd & 11…

6:53- Meyers drays the DPI and the Patriots will pick up the first down. 1st & 10…

5:35- White picks up another first down, taking the ball to the Texans 21…

4:56- Two incompletions (Brady is 18-39); 3rd & 10…

4:47- Gain of four on the catch by White; 4th & 6…

4:06- Dorsett picks up six and the first down; 1st & 10…

3:49- Incomplete pass; 2nd & 10…

3:42- TOUCHDOWN, PATRIOTS!! Brady hits White for the score; the Patriots went for two and it failed. Again, NOBODY was open, which is the theme of the last month. Texans 28, Patriots 15. The onside kick was recovered by the Texans.

3:41- No gain by Hyde; 2nd & 10…

2:52- Hyde runs for three; 3rd & 7, timeout called by the Patriots.

2:45- Hopkins gains zero, and the Patriots call another timeout. The Texans will be forced to punt. 4th & 11…

2:31- White runs for 15; 1st & 10…

2:13- Another run (seriously?) goes for a loss of three. Throw the damn ball. 2nd & 13…

2:00- Incomplete; 3rd & 13…

1:46- Myers picks up 20 and another 1st down; 1st & 10…

1:21- White gains eight and gets out of bounds, but there was a penalty on the play that was accepted. 1st & 10…

1:11- White gains 39 yards and the Patriots will at least have a chance to make this interesting. 1st & 10…

:50- TOUCHDOWN, PATRIOTS!! Edelman makes the catch and score, and all of a sudden the Texans need to recover the onside kick to win the game. Wow. Texans 28, Patriots 22

:50- The Patriots barely miss the onside kick, and that will do it from Houston. The Patriots drop to the second seed and will have their hands full with the Kansas City Chiefs next week. The offense needs to wake up, and it really might be time to bring back Antonio Brown.

Thank you for joining us, and be sure to join us again next week against the high-flying Chiefs.

FINAL SCORE- HOUSTON TEXANS 28, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 22