Patriots rediscover winning formula, but with a couple of important conditions
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and head coach Bill Belichick talk on the sideline during the second half against the Texans.
COMMENTARY
It seemed to me that the Patriots entered Sunday night’s matchup with the Texans with two fundamental requirements for it to qualify as a wholly successful evening.
1. End the losing streak, assuming two annoying but hardly alarming losses in a row actually qualifies as a losing streak. For the Patriots, I suppose it does. They haven’t lost three in a row since 2002. One could argue a single loss is what passes for a slump around here.
2. Get out of Houston without any more Patriots limbs or ligaments becoming casualties of this increasingly frustrating battle of attrition. It seems like at least one significant player has been injured to a serious degree every game since running back Dion Lewis tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Week 9 against the Redskins.
So how’d they fare? Rather well on the first and, fingers crossed on the latter.
Despite NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth’s snickering suggestion that a 14-point lead was troubling for the Patriots — they’d uncharacteristically muffed two-touchdown advantages in back-to-back losses to the Broncos and Eagles — there was very little suspense in the Patriots’ 27-6 victory over the Texans.
Rob Gronkowski, who missed the Eagles game with a knee injury suffered against Denver, returned to contribute 87 receiving yards, putting him over 1,000 for the season, while also catching a touchdown pass, his 10th of the season. He is the first tight end in NFL history with three seasons of more than 1,000 yards and 10-plus touchdowns. Yes, he is 26 years old and is playing the tight end position better than anyone ever has. Yes, he changes everything.
Elsewhere, the offensive line did a decent job against Texans star J.J. Watt — he was prominent in more commercials and NBC graphics than actual plays — while the Patriots’ defense, led by unsung Jabaal Sheard (who did Willie McGinest things all night, including two second-half strip sacks of battered Houston quarterback Brian Hoyer) kept the Texans out of the end zone for the game’s entirety.
Bonus kudos go to Logan Ryan, who limited DeAndre Hopkins, probably the third-best receiver in the league this season, to three receptions. Remember when we thought the cornerbacks were going to be a weakness in the absence of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner? Ryan and the fast and fearless Malcolm Butler are proving to be a better-than-dependable tandem.
Out of respect to their big, fat zero in the loss column, the 13-0 Panthers must be considered Super Bowl favorites right now. But the Patriots, who clinched a playoff berth and vaulted back into the top spot in the AFC with the win and preceding losses Sunday by the Bengals and Broncos, remain legitimate candidates to take the Lombardi Trophy from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s cold, callous-free hands even with so many important players in the infirmary.
What’s that? Injuries are not an excuse? That’s true. But they were still a damnable factor in the relative struggles versus the Broncos and the Eagles. Those who say injuries aren’t something fans should complain about are saying that for one self-serving reason: It gives them free reign to disparage the team’s performance without having to acknowledge the impact of the notable absences.
I’m not suggesting whatsoever that the plague of injuries is endemic to the Patriots: The lurking Steelers have thrived despite losing dynamic running back Le’Veon Bell, and the Bengals may have lost quarterback Andy Dalton for the season Sunday. Just check the list of available players in your fantasy football league right now; it’s a who’s-who of high draft picks like Jamaal Charles whose seasons were abruptly halted weeks ago. There’s no sympathy in football. Next Man Up is real.
But it sure would be nice if the Patriots could get through a weekend without losing someone among their core of 10 or so indispensable players. Last night, four players left the game with injury and did not return by my count: safety Devin McCourty, running back LeGarrette Blount, defensive lineman Dominique Easley, and linebacker Jonathan Freeny.
McCourty, who reportedly had X-Rays on his ankle, would be the most irreplaceable. He’s a smart, rangy center fielder, an All-Pro caliber player who is darned near irreplaceable even with relative depth at the position. Losing Blount would hurt, albeit to a lesser degree. He was finally hammering his way to an effective game (10 carries, 53 yards) when he left with a hip injury. The Patriots aren’t quite at the point where they’d have to pull a Bob Gladieux redux and fetch a running back from the stands to play, but a Blount injury would leave them perilously thin at the position. Anyone know what Antowain Smith is up to these days?
The Patriots won last night for the first time since November, and it was a reassuringly methodical team victory. After two losses, they were back to being their familiar selves. But the result cannot be savored fully while we’re still waiting anxiously to learn the prognosis for some important individuals who were lost along the way.
I’ll admit, I do wish Belichick wouldn’t tempt fate as much as he does. With the Patriots up by three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, there’s no reason to throw to Gronk and give some jacked-up meathead like Brian Cushing a shot at his knee cap (or Brady’s, for that matter).
So far, the Patriots have avoided reaching the point where losses mount at a simultaneous rate with the injuries. Two defeats in a row were jarring enough given the standards around here. Here’s to keeping the players who set those standards on the field, all the way through February.
Chad Finn can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeChadFinn.
PHOTOS: Patriots vs. Texans
[bdc-gallery id=”139996″]
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com