LaMarr Woodley will have nothing to complain about with the Patriots effort Sunday.
Tom Brady played the majority of the game, although he oddly sat out the final five minutes of the first half and the final drive of the game when the Patriots were trailing 34-27.
The decision to finally pull Brady so late will be questioned in New England, but it was another fourth quarter defensive collapse by the Patriots that caused the loss.
While the Patriots rested a few players before the game and rotated others, there were plenty of starters on the field when the Patriots gave up 21 fourth quarter points.
The Patriots still can be the third seed in the AFC, but the loss of Wes Welker will overshadow anything that happens in the game.
Houston’s excellent offensive outing should not be overlooked. Matt Schaub topped 300 yards again, and his only interception came on a dropped pass. Arian Foster staked his claim to a role next year with 119 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Schaub’s remarkable regular season finishes with 4,770 yards, 29 TDs, and 15 interceptions.
The Texans are still long shots for the playoffs, but at least they finally have a winning record at 9-7.
Houston needs two teams in front of them -- Ravens, Broncos, and Jets -- to lose to make the playoffs. Houston is ahead of Pittsburgh because of tiebreakers.