Taking a closer look via video at three key Patriots plays from Sunday's win over the Texans, which include:
- The blocked punt and Lawrence Guy's rush;
- Touchdown to Hunter Henry that was good work by Mac Jones and Henry;
- Third down conversion by Henry that basically clinched the game.
4-2-HST 36 (10:26) C.Johnston punts 0 yards to HST 36, Center-J.Weeks, out of bounds
Terrible decision here by David Culley. The Patriots had turned the ball over on the second play of the half with a bad Jones interception and the Texans had scored for the fourth time in four possessions. The Patriots then went three and out, and weren't really close. The Patriots finally held on defense, but New England had nothing going. They were dead in the water.
Until the Texans decided to try a fake punt.
Amazing Houston thought to do this when Nick Caserio knows better than anyone how much money Bill Belichick spends on special teams. (Maybe Caserio was trying to shove that in Belichick's face?)
In any event, the Patriots handle the possible fake perfectly. Don't show an imbalance. But then Guy makes the play by driving his blocker back and causes the blocked punt. Houston just should have taken the delay of game penalty. The punter rushed it with the playclock winding down.
“(A fake punt) was a possibility that if they gave us the right look, when we did what we did there, that if it gave us the right look we were possibly going to fake it," Culley said. "They didn't give us the look. We were going to back out and then just re-punt, and it didn't work out. We ended up having a leakage up the middle and ended up getting a block.”
3-6-HST 13 (9:36) (Shotgun) M.Jones pass short left to H.Henry for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This was an excellent play by both Jones and Henry.
The key to this play was the cornerback assigned to Henry. Terrence Brooks, the safety on that side, is a former Patriot and not great in space, so that was helpful.
But the play is a total read play by Jones and Henry. The ball is thrown depending on how the corner plays it, and what Henry thinks he can do. The corner got out-leveraged by Henry, who made a great decision to slip and side and beat him to the boundary.
Jones had to wait forever to read the corner and Henry, and basically had no choice to throw it flat-footed very quickly. He was almost deflected, but the ball was thrown perfectly.
3-6-NE 48 (3:58) (Shotgun) M.Jones pass short middle to H.Henry to HST 42 for 10 yards (L.Johnson; T.Mitchell).
Almost the same exact situation — and formation — as the red zone touchdown. Henry is X iso (all by himself) from a tight split, giving him a two-way go depending on how the DB plays it. Having Brandon Bolden aligned with Henry holds the linebacker on that side as he's in coverage on the running back.
The corner stays outside, Henry goes inside, the ball is right on his chest where Henry can protect it from the charging safety.
Great play all around.