Despite being without Brady, the Pats have still thrived with Garoppolo. Now, with New England onto their third-string quarterback Thursday night, the question is whether or not rookie QB Jacoby Brissett will be able to fit right into Bill Belichick’s system. My prediction for Thursday evening is that Brissett will definitely be fine. Let’s not forget that Belichick got Matt Cassel to lead the Pats to an 11-5 record a few years back. Brissett in fact, is likely of a higher calibre than Cassel. This is a skilled, third-rounder, and he showed some solid traits in pre-season action. One of which being is great mobility to scramble around and extend plays. Going against a tough Houston front seven, the ability to move should prove quite useful. Look for Brissett to turn in a solid game and keep the Pats in this Thursday nighter.
On the defensive side for New England, one big boost to the Pats is the fact that linebacker Dont’a Hightower is expected to be in the lineup against Houston. With their first two options at QB out, and a banged up offense overall, look for the Pats to pick up their scoring unit with solid defensive play. Look for Hightower to be a big boost in limiting Lamar Miller’s effectiveness and forcing Brock Osweiler to throw in unfavourable situations. New England has been good at getting pressure on opposing QB’s, and Belichick does have a history of getting to Osweiler before – going back to his Denver days. Houston has a particular weakness along the left side of the O-Line and look for New England to be able to exploit this on Thursday night.
As iffy as backing the Pats may be with a third-string rookie quarterback, with New England and Bill Belichick, it’s all about adhering to the system. With Gronkowski back, the offense will be fine with an athletic Brissett at the helm, and their defense will be all over Osweiler. There is something weird about seeing New England as home underdogs, and Houston has yet to face a calibre of team like the Pats. Beating the Bears and Chiefs shouldn’t warrant being favoured in Foxborough, and you can bet New England will be motivated to prove the doubters wrong. Put your faith in the Belichick-system to put you in awe once again, and look for New England to win with yet another unknown quarterback on Thursday night.
Hot Forum Topics
