Shorthanded Patriots Send Emphatic Message That They Are Team to Beat in AFC

September 23, 2016   ·   Gary Davenport   ·   Jump to comments

The New England Patriots entered Week 3 beset by injuries. The team was on its third-string quarterback. Its star tight end had yet to take the field. Head coach Bill Belichick had only four days to get a rookie quarterback ready to face an undefeated opponent and the league's best defensive player.
Yawn.
The Patriots didn't just beat the Houston Texans on Thursday night to move to 3-0 on the season. They throttled them 27-0. And in doing so, the Pats sent a message to the rest of the AFC.
That message? "We're the best team in the league—and we'll beat you senseless with one hand tied behind our backs."
That's essentially what the Patriots did. With Tom Brady serving a four-game suspension and backup Jimmy Garoppolo out with a sprained shoulder, Jacoby Brissett became the first rookie quarterback to start a game for the Patriots since Drew Bledsoe in 1993.
Brissett's first NFL start was far from the Patriots' only problem. Like Brady, defensive end Rob Ni...

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