Sorry, just can't get into the Texans' matchup. Can the Patriots lose? Sure. Just like they have in December to the Dolphins the previous two seasons. Could Houston be the new Miami? It could, especially considering the Texans are getting two starting-caliber corners back in the mix. But I doubt it. As the immortal John "The General" McClain said in these webpages:
"When the Texans see the Patriots, their butts get so tight you couldn’t drive a pin in them with a sledgehammer."
Bill
Belichick
Joe
Judge
Julian
Edelman
STAYS THE SAME
Devin McCourty (99 percent)
Kyle Van Noy (97 percent)
Stephon Gilmore (96 percent)
Lawrence Guy (75 percent)
Shilique Calhoun (10 percent)
POSSIBLE REDUCTION, BUT DOUBTFUL
Jamie Collins (88 percent)
Dont'a Hightower (79 percent)
Adam Butler/Danny Shelton (57 percent)
Byron
Cowart
POSSIBLE REDUCTION
Jason McCourty (67 percent)
John Simon (61 percent)
Duron Harmon (57 percent)
JC Jackson (40 percent)
Elandon Roberts (33 percent)
Ja'Whaun Bentley (30 percent)
POSSIBLE INCREASES
Jonathan Jones (42 percent)
Patrick Chung (40 percent)
Terrence Brooks (31 percent)
Byron Cowart (28 percent)
Bradley
Bozeman
Chase Winovich (13 percent):
YOU NEVER KNOW
Justin Bethel/Matthew Slater
Nate Ebner
Final thoughts
DL
LBs
DBs
way
Mark
Ingram
MORE ON LAMAR JACKSON'S RISING STAR
Did a Jackson takeout for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and some of the more interesting stuff was left on the cutting room floor, which happens in this biz. I'll leave it here so somebody reads it:
Drafting Jackson wasn't a brilliant move by the Ravens ... it was luck, similar to how the Patriots landed Tom Brady.
Hayden
Hurst
Eric
DeCosta
Dick
Cass
Ravens changed the offensive system entirely — so the Chargers playoff game it's applicable to now — and never told Jackson
Marty
Mornhinweg
Greg
Roman
Jackson has a different all-around skillset than previous athletic quarterbacks who flamed out
Steve
Young
Willie
Snead
Kordell
Stewart
Colin
Kaepernick
Michael
Vick
Jim Mora Jr.
Robert
Griffin’s
Mike
Kyle Shanahan
Daniel
Snyder
GAME PICK
Line
O/U
Season
Stephon
Gilmore
DeAndre
Hopkins
Devin
McCourty
Will
Fuller
Romeo
Crennel
Patriots 27, Texans 17.