HOUSTON -- It was a big game filled with happy reunions during warm-ups. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft shared hellos with several of his former employees, including Houston Texans offensive coordinator George Godsey, linebackers coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Brian Hoyer.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady even walked over to Hoyer to give him a hug and a quick hello.
Sunday night's game showed clearly, though, that the Patriots remained the masters. Houston struggled offensively, even before Hoyer left the game to be evaluated for a concussion -- he was sacked five times and the team gave up six sacks overall. The Texans' defense, on the other hand, struggled to stop Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.
New England avoided a three-game losing streak for the first time since 2002 with a 27-6 win over the Texans.
What it means: The Texans are lucky that the Indianapolis Colts also lost. While beating the Patriots would have been a significant boost both mentally and in the standings, the Texans remain tied for first place with the Colts. Both teams are 6-7 after Indianapolis' blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier in the day. At some point, though, the Texans will have to capitalize on the opportunities afforded them by the Colts' struggles. They'll get a chance to do so next weekend with a road game against the Colts.
What were they thinking? The Texans could not get DeAndre Hopkins involved in the game once again, a week after insisting they would figure out a way to get him the ball more. Houston didn't target him until late in the second quarter and he caught that pass for 5 yards. The Texans didn't go deep for Hopkins until the fourth quarter, when he caught a 40-yard bomb. By then, it was too little, too late. It was clear, though, that Hopkins was frustrated on the field.
One reason to get excited: Perhaps inspired by Khalil Mack's five-sack game for the Oakland Raiders, Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney had the first multi-sack game of his career. He sacked his childhood icon Brady twice and now has 4.5 sacks this season.
One reason to panic: The Texans reverted to their troubles at stopping the run and handling tight ends -- something that bit them early in the season. Gronkowski had four catches for 86 yards and a touchdown in his return from injury.
Fantasy watch: Hoyer has consistently had solid fantasy numbers, throwing multiple touchdowns with regularity. On Sunday, Hoyer struggled under heavy pressure. He completed only 11 of 22 pass attempts for 155 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He also fumbled the ball twice in critical situations.
Ouch: Hoyer's injury is the main one to watch as the Texans move forward.