Gameplan points: Patriots, Texans may be familiar, but much is unknown in this matchup

Everyone knows that the Texans and Patriots will face off for the fifth time in the past four years (4-0, New England) when they meet to kick off the NFL season on Sunday. And in many ways, they're mirror images of each other, considering the head coach/offensive coordinator (Bill O'Brien) and defensive coordinator (Romeo Crennel) are former lieutenants to Bill Belichick in New England.

Certainly, many faces have changed (especially for Houston). But the main combatants are still very familiar to one another.

The Texans have the book on Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, James White, everyone but Trent Brown on the offensive line, Dont'a Hightower and the entire Patriots' secondary.

The Patriots have prepared multiple times for J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus, DeAndre Hopkins, Lamar Miller and Jonathan Joseph. New England has even experienced DeShaun Watson in the regular season, preseason, and joint practices.

But if you hooked up O'Brien and Belichick to truth serum, they'd tell you they're not sure exactly what they're going to get from the other in this game. Both teams are coming off camps and preseasons that revealed very little clues about the other.

In many ways, you can throw away the tape from last year's Week 3 meeting. On Sunday, expect the unexpected.

First, let's revisit the Patriots' 36-33 victory from last season, so you can study up.

Here's the Game Report. Here's my Breakdown.



The quickie version of what happened?

• The Patriots' offensive line got completely whipped by Watt, Clowney and Mercilus. New England allowed pressure against Brady (1.5 sacks he brought on himself) on 52.3 percent of snaps. Brady was sacked five times, and hit another five times. Watt and Clowney combined for 3.5 sacks, 3 hits, 10 hurries and 4 stuffed runs. Since-departed left tackle Nate Solder allowed 6.5 pressures.


• Considering the pressure he was under and how he performed, this might have been Brady's best-ever performance in a regular-season game.


• Chris Hogan killed the Texans out of the slot. Hmm, wonder if that will happen again. 


• The Patriots failed miserably in keeping Watson in the pocket. As a result, he killed them with his legs and with his arm outside the pocket. New England was really young and new up front, so that was part of the problem. But the Patriots always struggle with athletic quarterbacks.


• Stephon Gilmore and safeties Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung were atrocious.


• O'Brien was way too conservative in this game (4th and 2 punt late) and admitted some mistakes.

1. Block Whitney Mercilus: The Patriots have shown, in the past, they can handle Watt and Clowney, since they like to live on the edges. And they should be better at that this year, with upgrades in Brown and Cannon. They had a difficult time stopping Mercilus (one sack, two more QB hits) when he lined up over center David Andrews in Houston’s diamond pressure package in the last playoff game. The backs may have to get involved this time.


2. Match up the RBs on McKinney: The Patriots threw touchdown passes to Dion Lewis and James White in the playoff victory over the Texans, and that should continue if New England decides to use its quicker backs on earlier downs. If they wait for passing situations, the Texans now have some speed at linebacker in Cunningham. Expect a lot of White in this game.


3. Don't force it to Gronk: The Texans aren't idiots — they know the Patriots and their current personnel will be challenged in the passing game if they can't get it to the tight end. Honey Badger has traditionally been one of the best at jumping passes and, while Brady is the best, this is the type of game where Brady will start to force the ball and that could be an issue.

1. Keep Deshaun Watson in the pocket: He's coming off a major injury, and the Texans probably want him to play more conservative. But the biggest threat in this offense is still Watson's ability to keep plays alive and hit the voids in coverage when it breaks down later in the down. Last year, rookies like Deatrich Wise and Adam Butler weren't disciplined enough. They are veterans now, and surrounded by experienced players. But Wise, Shelton and Clayborn have shown issues being disciplined in their rush. No matter how tempting it may be to try for the sack, the Patriots will win this game going away if they have zero sacks, zero QB hits but force Watson to throw 28 times from between the tackles. The edge players can’t rush past Watson and leave gaping holes.


2. Keep Deshaun Watson in the pocket: Seriously, it’s that important. It's the same gameplan as last year, when they failed miserably and nearly lost at home.


3. Make Watson throw to someone other than DeAndre Hopkins: This is a no-brainer, and something totally in the Patriots’ wheelhouse. Wouldn’t mind seeing Gilmore announce his All-Pro candidacy by holding Hopkins in check. A premier matchup out of the gate.