It was enough for the Patriots to get Rob Gronkowski this week, so Tom Brady had someone to throw to.
But their next fill-in-the-blank challenge is going to be on the other side of the ball.
A defense that is facing its own injury issues laid waste to the Texans, holding them to seven first downs and 189 yards in a dominant 27-6 win. That moved the Patriots to 11-2, and back to the top of the heap in the AFC playoff hunt.
Of course, they lost safety Devin McCourty, defensive tackle Dominique Easley and linebacker Jonathan Freeny during the game, forcing them to continue to improvise.
That’s nothing new for the Patriots, who have been scraping together lineups all year on the other side of the ball. But the dominance they showed on defense was the story Sunday, with Jabaal Sheard leading a pass-rush that finished with six sacks.
But they were making plays in the back, with newcomer Leonard Johnson shining after signing Wednesday to provide cover. In fact, Johnson’s dancing was nearly the highlight of the night, except for the way they completely shut down a team that’s leading it’s division.
Here are five more things we learned during Sunday Night Football:
1. Instead of automatic playoff berths, the champions of the AFC South and NFC East should have to play each other in Dayton on the Tuesday before the start of the playoffs for the right to play the Panthers.
With the loss, the Colts and Texans are still tied at 6-7, but you can’t discount the 5-8 Jaguars at the moment.
It’s a disaster of a division, with the two best healthy quarterbacks playing for the two worst teams, and if the Texans had either Blake Bortles or Marcus Mariota, they’d be running away with the thing.
2. Speaking of quarterbacks, Brian Hoyer deserves a medal for the beating he was taking back there before leaving to be evaluated for a concussion.
But he also deserves a seat, whenever the Texans get around to finding an actual answer at the position.
While Hoyer has been a dutiful fill-in, and certainly more deserving of the job than Ryan Mallett ever was, the Texans aren’t going far with him when he’s well.
He was 11-of-22 for 155 yards, and most of those yards came on two passes, a 49-yarder to Nate Washington and a 40-yard heave to DeAndre Hopkins.
That 66 yards on the other 20 attempts (3.3 yards per) is more indicative of the problems they have as an offense. The Texans have been reduced to tricks, and too-soon tries for fourth downs, and it’s unfair to blame that all on Hoyer.
But he’s also good enough to keep them from bottoming out, and having a high enough pick to land a Bortles or a Mariota.
3. The Patriots have major problems on special teams, with three weeks in a row featuring big gaffes.
This week, it was a muffed punt by Keshawn Martin, though the Texans weren’t able to take advantage of it. He was immediately replaced by Danny Amendola.
Part of the problem stems from all their injuries. Since linebackers, defensive backs, receivers and running backs make up the guts of all special teams units, the Patriots having to adjust the starting lineup every week has a trickle-down effect.
But they’re also not nearly as sharp under first-year special teams coach Joe Judge, after longtime assistant Scott O’Brien moved to the scouting department.
Whatever the problem, their special teams deficiencies could undermine them as the season goes along, and they run into teams which can actually score.
4. Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan deserves more credit that he’s going to get, but he did an admirable job on Hopkins.
Either that or the Texans built the most flawed game plan ever, with Hopkins targeted once in the first half. It was a 5-yard reception.
Hopkins has made plays against practically everyone this year, but he either wasn’t getting open or Hoyer wasn’t seeing him. And it makes no sense that Hoyer wouldn’t be looking for his best chance to make a play.
5. Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is one of the best two-handed players in the NFL.
Playing with one, however, makes him look sort of ordinary. Very few teams have held Watt in check this year, as he had 13.5 sacks in his first 12 games.
But the large club he was wearing on his left hand is clearly limiting.
The only good news for the Texans is that former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney is looking like the guy they thought they were investing in. But without Watt joining him making plays, or one of them playing quarterback, the Texans don’t have much in the way of hope.