Game Rewind: The Patriots steam rolled the Houston Texans 27-0 last night in what was one of the best coached games of Bill Belichick’s Patriots tenure. Paced by a physical running game and solid defense, the Patriots were able to dominate a Texans team that came into the game undefeated and had the look of a contender.

Here are five thoughts on the game.

1. Coaching Clinic on Offense: Bill Belichick and his staff put on a coaching clinic last night. Offensively, the game plan was to pound the ball, control the clock and keep the Texans off balance with perimeter running plays. The Patriots ran Julian Edelman on the jet-sweep, they ran a reverse with Martellus Bennett and perhaps what was the best call of the night, Jacoby Brissett scored a 27 yard touchdown on a boot keep play. Belichick and his staff totally outclassed former assistants Bill O’Brien and Romeo Crennel and quite frankly they made them look bad.

2. Brissett Managed the Game: Jacoby Brissett did a great job last night of managing the game plan. He only threw 19 passes but he took care of the football and converted several key third downs when he had to. The kid played great and the Patriots should feel comfortable with starting him next week if they have to.

3. Blount Force Trauma: Blount once again was the catalyst for the Patriots offense carrying the ball 24 times for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Patriots have emphasized balance offensively thus far this season but the game plan was abundantly obvious last night. RUN THE FOOTBALL! They ran the ball 39 times and only threw the ball 19 times. That’s the epitome of being game plan specific.

4. Championship Caliber Defense: After a tough second half last week that saw the Patriots surrender 21 points to the Dolphins, the defense stepped up and shut down the Texans offense. Houston managed just 284 yards of total offense. They were completely out of sync and struggled to establish any rhythm on offense. The Patriots had to play championship caliber defense to start the season without Tom Brady and thus far, they have.

5. O-Line Dominance: The offensive line was once again dominate last night. Patriots fans are quick to credit offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia but its more than that. This group is tougher with the additions of Joe Thuney and Ted Karras. The two rookies have brought an edge that the offensive line lacked last season.

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