New England Patriots

Patriots Week 3 bold predictions: Brissett leads fourth quarter comeback

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Jacoby Brissett (7) New England Patriots – Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

By stepping onto this page, you are giving the writer creative license to envision a thrilling game between the New England Patriots and Houston Texans. Here are six Patriots Week 3 bold predictions:

Patriots Week 3 bold predictions: Jabaal Sheard will blow up

While all the attention will be Texans pass rushing monster J.J. Watt, it will be Jabaal Sheard who explodes for a hat trick of sacks on Thursday night, the first of our Patriots Week 3 bold predictions.

Don’t forget that Sheard has a huge game against the Texans last year. If you take a gander at Sheard’s 2015 game log, you will see that the former Cleveland Browns defensive end posted two sacks in the Week 14 encounter in Houston, as well as two forced fumbles. Sheard was a major reason why the Patriots cruised to a 27-6 victory that night.

In Week 3, Sheard will maintain his strong play against the Texans by fighting his way into the backfield constantly. He will cash in with three sacks, a pass rusher’s hat trick.

Meanwhile, Watt will have a frustrating night getting to the quarterback…

Cameron Fleming (71) of the New England Patriots and J.J. Watt (99) of the Houston Texans. Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots Week 3 bold predictions: J.J. Watt won’t sack Jacoby Brissett

A game in which Watt is held to a zero in the sack column occurs sparsely, making the projection of the Patriots shutting down Watt bold enough to include in this article.

There are three reasons why Watt will have a quiet night on the sack front.

First of all, Marcus Cannon will prove to the audience that his big night against Watt last year was not simply a result of Watt having a club for a hand. Cannon will hold his own and then some against the star defensive end.

Furthermore, Nate Solder will have a similarly solid performance against the pass rushers aiming to hit Jacoby Brissett’s blind side. By virtue of Solder keeping his end in check, Watt won’t have any dance partners at the other edge to split the Patriots’ protection apart and open up the pocket.

Last but not least, the presence of Dante Scarnecchia will provide the smarts behind stifling Watt.

But Watt will make his impact in other ways…

J.J. Watt (99) of the Houston Texans can disrupt passes. Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots Week 3 bold predictions: Watt will force two tip-ball interceptions

Watt will compensate for not registering a single sack in this game by using his basketball ability. Expect a handful of tipped balls by Watt, two of which will lead to interceptions.

There are always growing pains for rookie quarterbacks in their first start. For Brissett, his struggles in this game will stem out of making his release a tad bit too obvious for an expert pass-tipper like Watt.

Having three, four balls bounce up in the air will translate into a pair of easy interceptions for Texans defensive backs. Andre Hal, the ball hawk of the secondary, will be on the receiving end of one of these tipped passes.

Both of these turnovers will lead to touchdowns, swinging the momentum in the second quarter in favor of Houston.

No matter how you slice it, Watt is the defensive equivalent of Rob Gronkowski in that his skill set is so multi-faceted.

LeGarrette Blount (29) New England Patriots – Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots Week 3 bold predictions: LeGarrette Blount will rush for 150 yards

While Brissett has a rocky first half, LeGarrette Blount will be a bright spot for the Patriots. Currently the NFL’s fourth-leading rusher, Blount is feeling it right now. The return of Dante Scarnecchia has aided the entire offensive line in many ways, one of which being the ground game.

Blount is on pace to pass 1,500 yards rushing after racking up 193 yards in the first two weeks of play. The Patriots are feeding him early, and they are feeding him often. There is no reason to think that Josh McDaniels would deviate from this course of action in Week 3, especially with such a green quarterback at the helm against a front seven that leads the NFL with nine sacks.

The bulk of Blount’s 150 yards will come in the first half before the Patriots fall behind by 10 points in the third quarter.

Justin Coleman (22) New England Patriots – Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots Week 3 bold predictions: Pick-six for Justin Coleman

Patriots fans became familiar with Justin Coleman midway through the 2015 season. The undrafted rookie out of Tennessee outshined Leonard Johnson and Rashaan Melvin in the nickel role, and the Patriots stuck with him in the offseason despite an influx of impressive rookie corners and veterans like E.J. Biggers.

While not always the most dependable cornerback, Coleman is solid, and he will be rewarded for his hard work in Week 3 by taking advantage of an ill-advised Brock Osweiler throw. Osweiler will be feeling the heat all night from the Patriots’ pass rush, namely Sheard as was mentioned previously; that will be good news for the Patriots’ secondary.

So far, only Jamie Collins and Duron Harmon have landed on the stat sheet with an interception. Look for Coleman to join them in Week 3, and to take it the extra step by returning the ball for a crucial score.

One final prediction…

Jacoby Brissett (7) New England Patriots – David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots Week 3 bold predictions: Brissett will lead thrilling fourth quarter comeback

Here’s a recap of how events will transpire tomorrow night through the first three quarters:

In the fourth quarter, the Patriots will address the 10-point deficit head-on. Brissett will benefit from Blount finding his lanes like he did in the first quarter, allowing the rookie quarterback to find fellow first-year Patriot Malcolm Mitchell and Julian Edelman for touchdowns.

Brissett will look an awful lot like early-2001 Tom Brady in this game. His stat line will read something along the lines of 240 passing yards, two touchdowns and two picks. But unlike Week 2, Brissett will avoid fumbling the ball.

The Patriots will beat the odds and rise to 3-0 on the season despite the abundance of absences in the lineup.

Keep a close eye here on Musket Fire tomorrow morning and catch our discussion with Toro Times editor Randy Gurzi and a roundtable discussion among a few of the staff writers.