Blount, Brissett lead Patriots in shutout win over Texans
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Another week, another new quarterback, another win for the New England Patriots.
Jacoby Brissett had a 27-yard touchdown run in his first NFL start at quarterback, LeGarrette Blount added scoring runs of 1 and 41 yards , and the Patriots beat the Houston Texans 27-0 on Thursday night.
It was the Patriots' first shutout win since 2012. It was the first time the Texans have been shutout since a 27-0 loss at Jacksonville in 2003.
Brissett started in place of Jimmy Garoppolo, who was inactive because of an injured right shoulder. It was the first time since Drew Bledsoe in 1993 that New England had started a rookie quarterback.
The Texans (2-1) entered the game with the NFL's third-ranked defense and nine sacks through two games, but they struggled to put pressure on the 23-year-old quarterback.
Brissett was steady throughout, moving the chains on offense with a diet of short passes and scrambles. The Patriots (3-0) also mixed in lots of pre-snap motion and shifts that helped create both throwing and running lanes for Brissett. He finished the night 11 of 19 for 103 yards, and ran eight times for 48 yards.
Houston didn't help itself on special teams either, turning the ball over twice on fumbled kickoff returns. Houston quarterback Brock Osweiler was 24 for 41 for 196 yards and was sacked twice. He also had a promising drive in the second quarter thwarted by Jamie Collins' interception . The Texans had a chance to get on the board just before halftime, but that drive stalled at midfield.
Lamar Miller rushed 22 times for 84 yards.