HOUSTON (0-0) at NEW ENGLAND (0-0)
Sunday, 1p.m. ET, CBS
OPENING LINE - Patriots by 6 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD - Houston 7-9, New England 12-7
SERIES RECORD - Patriots lead 9-1
LAST MEETING - Patriots beat Texans 36-33, Sept. 24, 2017
AP PRO32 RANKING - Texans No. 12, Patriots No. 2
TEXANS OFFENSE - OVERALL (20), RUSH (14), PASS (21).
TEXANS DEFENSE - OVERALL (20), RUSH (13), PASS (24).
PATRIOTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (1), RUSH (10), PASS (2).
PATRIOTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (29), RUSH (20), PASS (30).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Facing off for fourth straight year in regular season. … Patriots have won last five regular-season meetings and are 4-0 at home vs. Texans. … Houston coach Bill O’Brien was New England assistant from 2007-11. He is 0-3 against his former team. … Texans QB Deshaun Watson set franchise rookie records with 19 TD passes and 103 QB rating last season before tearing right ACL in November. …Watson had 19 TD passes in seven games, most in NFL history by rookie in first seven games. …He passed for 301 yards and two TDs in last year’s loss to New England. … DE J.J. Watt has 76 career sacks, second most in NFL since entering league in 2011. … Watt has appeared in just eight games in last two seasons after suffering herniated disc in 2016 and fracturing left tibia last season. … DE Jadeveon Clowney had career-high 9 1/2 sacks and ranked second in NFL with 21 tackles for loss last season. In three career meetings with Patriots, Clowney has four sacks, six tackles for loss and forced fumble. … LB Whitney Mercilus has 3 1/2 sacks in past five meetings. He played in only five games in 2017 before tearing pectoral in October. … LB Benardrick McKinney led team with 95 tackles in 2017. … WR DeAndre Hopkins led NFL with career-high and franchise-record 13 TD receptions in 2017. … Hopkins needs one reception to extend streak to 80 consecutive games with reception to start his career. … WR Will Fuller V had career-high seven TD catches in 2017. … Texans are one of four teams Patriots own undefeated regular-season home record (4-0) against. … QB Tom Brady, now 41, passed for 378 yards and five TDS in last meeting. He has 1,371 passing yards, 13 TDs and INT in past four meetings. … TE Rob Gronkowski led NFL tight ends with 1,084 receiving yards in 2017. He has three TD catches in four career meetings with Texans. … S Devin McCourty led team with career-high 94 tackles last season. … DE Adrian Clayborn had career-high 9 1/2 sacks with Falcons last season as was signed as free agent. … LB Kyle Van Noy had career-high 11 tackles in last meeting with Texans. … Fantasy Tip: Brady owns 8-1 record against Houston, passing for 22 TDs and 2,565 yards (regular season and playoffs).
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