I think that game was also a little skewed because the Packers were on fire and the Texans were a little flat. And let’s not forget the Patriots aren’t exactly at full strength on offense either, if there’s a re-match New England will have an entirely different look with Gronk (hopefully) playing.
But despite all that I still think the Patriots should move the ball against the Texans, and exploit their secondary. What will matter most is finishing drives with touchdowns. They can’t bring a knife to this battle because it will be a gunfight.
No one reads coverage and match-ups better than Brady, so I think we’ll see a good chunk of Woodhead and the spread offense. The main guys will of course be Welker, Hernandez and Lloyd, with Lloyd being the real wild card. This is the week I think they really need something out of him, and I’d bet we see him moved around a lot more instead of simply keeping him outside.