What to Watch For: Patriots vs Texans Preseason Game 2
Joe Calabro, GoLocalProv Sports Team
What to Watch For: Patriots vs Texans Preseason Game 2
The two teams held joint practices all week in West Virginia leading up to the game.
"The Texans have a lot of good players. They’re a very talented team. Honestly, I'm just trying to focus more on getting our team to perform as well as they can, trying to coach them to the best of my ability. I know Coach O'Brien is doing the same with his team. Really this is more about us getting better than spending a lot of time trying to critique everybody on the other side of the ball. We've got enough to work on on our side," said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during his press conference earlier this week.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTPatriots quarterback Tom Brady added, "there are so many good players out there on that field. They were the first-ranked defense in the league last year. It's just tough to move the ball. As you guys saw, there are a lot of plays that we may make or we may get sacked. I don't know."
Kick off is set for 8 p.m.
Return to Houston
The last time the Patriots were in Houston for a football game, they defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 to win the Super Bowl.
"We had a good offseason to kind of regain our focus. Life doesn't seem to slow down much when you're 40 years old and you have three kids. I think maybe it's a little slower at work than it is at home," said Brady on the return to Houston.
The win marked New England's second Super Bowl victory in Houston, and 5th Super Bowl victory overall.
What to Watch For
Saturday's game will offer a first look at the starters, including the building chemistry between Brady and new wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
The game will also allow for a look at the ongoing position battles at running back and for the third cornerback spot.
The defensive line and the secondary will also be in the spot light.
SEE WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN THE SLIDESHOW BELOW
The Pats have planned all week for Tom Brady & Co. to play tomorrow night, per source. Barring a last-minute Belichick curveball of course.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 18, 2017
5 Things to Watch For: Patriots vs Texans Preseason Game 2
Defensive Line
The Patriots are short on depth along the defensive line.
Rookie Derek Rivers tore his ACL in practice earlier this week and is out for the season.
Rookie Deatrich Wise left last week’s preseason game against Jacksonville with a head injury and did not return.
Linebacker Shea McClellin missed both joint practices with Houston.
Who is Left?
Left at the position are Trey Flowers, Kony Ealy, Geneo Grissom and Caleb Kidder, an undrafted rookie.
JJ Watt
JJ Watt presents a big preseason challenge for the Patriots offensive line.
During 11 on 11 drills, Watt beat offensive linemen Joe Thuney and Marcus Cannon and got to Brady on multiple occasions.
Watt, who missed all but three games last season, has 76 career sacks and 299 career tackles.
Brady & Cooks
Tom Brady and the starters are expected to see time in this game, according to reports.
The chemistry between Tom Brady and new wide receiver Brandin Cooks has been building throughout training camp.
This week during Wednesday's practice against the Texans, Cooks caught five of eight passes from Brady including a long touchdown pass on a post route with Texans corner Kevin Johnson in coverage.
While it is unknown how much Brady and Cooks will play on Thursday, look for their practice field chemistry to translate to the game.
First Look at Secondary
With the starters expected to play, Saturday will serve as the first look at the Patriots secondary with the addition of Stephon Gilmore.
Gilmore sat out Tuesday's practice against the Texans due to a coaches decison, but returned on Wednesday.
Throughout camp the secondary has been aggressive, playing a lot of bump and run coverage and frustrating the Patriots and Texans offenses at times.
Ongoing Position Battles
The second preseason game will offer up another look at some of the ongoing position battles on the Patriots roster.
Cornerback
The battle continues for the third cornerback spot for use in nickel packages.
Cyrus Jones really struggled in last week's game against Jacksonville, getting beat for touchdowns on two big plays.
Eric Rowe saw time with the starters during camp this week when Gilmore sat out. He is the favorite to win the third spot.
Running Back
Last week, Dion Lewis saw an entire half of action against the Jaguars, carrying the ball 7 times for 32 yards. Following the game, there was speculation that Lewis could be in a battle for his job.
With James White and Rex Burkehead expected to see time, it will be interesting to see where and when Lewis' reps come in the game.
