What We Learned From Week 11 in the N.F.L.
A couple of weeks ago, we broke down the first 11 games of the season. Now, we turn our attention to the 11th, and most important, game of the season to decide the fate of the 2014 N.F.L. season: the game between the Houston Texans and the New England Patriots
The teams meet during the fourth Sunday of the NFL season, with the Houston Texans seeking their fourth straight win and their fourth straight win over the Patriots. After all, New England is 4-4 under Bill Belichick, who has guided the Pats to five consecutive victories. But the Texans have won four of their last six road games and lost two of their past three. They’re currently on a four-game losing streak against the Patriots, though their schedule is slightly easier than the team that hosts us here in Week 11: The Denver Broncos (a 4-4 record for Denver, 3-4 so far this season).
We’ll also take a look at the other five games in the divisional picture, and the two teams’ performances against the pass.
1/09 vs. CIN
What We Learned • New England’s pass-rush has been the best in the NFL while the Houston pass-rush has been mediocre at best. • As far as the rest of the division goes, Houston is a solid team, while New England is just okay. • Despite being one of the worst teams in the league at stopping the run, New England will find it hard to stop the run.
The Houston Texans defense has been very good this season, yet still not good enough to overcome the Houston offense that is among the best in the league at this stage of the season.
The Texans offensive side of the ball is equally as impressive, ranking fourth in the NFL in yards per game (405), first in total offense (619), second in passing yards (301), third in net yards per pass play (16.0), and first in passing touchdowns (23).
Despite all this, the Texans have one of