NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (10-2) at HOUSTON TEXANS (6-6)
Sunday Dec. 13, 2015 at 8:30 pm ET at NRG Stadium
The New England Patriots will attempt to get back in the win column after losing two straight games when they travel to play the Houston Texans in a Sunday Night Football matchup.
Despite the losing effort last week against Philadelphia, QB Tom Brady passed for 312 yards and three touchdowns to push his 2015 totals to an NFL-leading 3,912 yards and 31 touchdowns. It is the sixth time in his career that he has reached at least 30 touchdowns to become the fourth player in NFL history with at least 30 or more touchdowns passes in six seasons, joining Brett Favre (9), Peyton Manning (9) and Drew Brees (7).
Brady needs 88 yards passing this week to reach 4,000 passing yards for the eighth time in his career and join Peyton Manning (14) and Drew Brees (9) as the only players with eight 4,000-yard passing seasons.
WHERE TO WATCH
- Tavern on Broadway turns the volume all the way up on their flat screens and has an amazing football munchies menu.
- Nikolas Pizza runs a great deal. A large one topping pizza, a dozen wings and 60oz pitcher of beer or sangria for $21.95. Full volume on the tv’s and the direct tv package.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION: This week’s game will be broadcast by NBC and can be seen locally on WHDH-TV Channel 7 in Boston. Al Michaels will handle play-by-play duties with Cris Collinsworth as the color analyst. Michele Tafoya will work the sidelines. The game will be produced by Fred Gaudelli and directed byDrew Esocoff.Read
NATIONAL RADIO: This week’s game will be broadcast to a national audience on Westwood One Sports. Kevin Kugler and James Lofton will call the game.Read
LOCAL RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for thePatriots Radio Network. Play-by-play broadcaster Bob Socci will call the action along with former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak, who will provide color analysis. Produced by Marc Cappello
BELICHICK LOOKING FOR ELEVEN
Bill Belichick is one win shy of his 13th 11-win season, which would tie Don Shula for most in NFL history. Belichick has 11 seasons with at least 11 wins with New England and one such season with Cleveland.
SERIES HISTORY
The Patriots and Texans will meet for the sixth time in the regular season and for the seventh time overall since Houston entered the NFL in 2002.
The Patriots and Texans last met on Dec. 1, 2013, in Houston, with the Patriots taking a 34-31 victory.
New England is 4-1 overall against Houston in the regular season, including 2-1 at Houston.
The Patriots and Texans met in the 2012 postseason in an AFC Divisional playoff game that was won by the Patriots, 41-28, on Jan. 13, 2013, at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots only loss against Houston was in the final game of the 2009 regular season, when Houston defeated the Patriots, 34-27. The Patriots had already clinched the division prior to that game and Tom Brady was relieved for portions of that game by then backup QB Brian Hoyer. Before the Texans joined the league, the Patriots and the Houston Oilers were foes dating back to the days of the American Football League, playing twice a year from 1960-69 and 33 times overall before the Oilers moved to Tennessee following the 1996 season.
SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY
The Patriots have an all-time record of 89-47-1 (.653) against the teams that make up the AFC South. It is the only division in the NFL where the Patriots own winning records against each team. New England owns winning marks against Tennessee (23-16-1), Indianapolis (51-29), Jacksonville (10-1) and Houston (5-1).
PASSING PERFORMANCES
Tom Brady is slated to start against Houston for the sixth time in his career in the regular season. He is 4-1 in games that he started. In the Week 17 2009 game, the Patriots had already clinched the division, so Brady was relieved for portions of the game by backup Brian Hoyer.
