The Houston Texans currently have the best record in the NFL, with the Atlanta Falcons losing yesterday to drop to 11-2. If Houston can go into New England on Monday Night Football in Week 14 and knock off the Patriots, they will own the best record outright, not to mention the fact that they will continue to have a multiple game lead in the AFC playoff race for the top seed in the division.
This is definitely a Monday Night Football game that people are looking forward to watching.
And at the center of this game, are two of the most productive quarterbacks in the entire league. The game could very well come down to the player who out-duels his opponent in the passing game.
For the Texans, we have Matt Schaub. For the Patriots, it’s Tom Brady. Both are having very solid seasons, though the statistical advantage goes to Brady for now. On the season, Brady has thrown for over 3,500 yards, and 25 touchdowns. But perhaps the most impressive statistic all season long has been his league low four interceptions.
Schaub has thrown for just over 3,000 yards this season, with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The two shared an almost identical completion percentage, at just under 65 percent.
Brady of course is asked to throw the ball a lot more than Schaub, who has the luxury of relying on running back Arian Foster. Brady and the Patriots do a more running back by committee approach, though Stevan Ridley has taken the majority of the carries.
Schaub and the Texans certainly have the bigger threat in the run game though with Foster, who has rushed for over 1,100 yards to go along with 13 touchdowns on the season.. That is more than a touchdown per game average.
This could be a preview of a playoff matchup further down the line. These are the top-two favorites in the AFC, and could be the No.1 and No.2 seeds on a collision course for the AFC championship. This is an important game for both teams, so we should get a good idea of how the two match up when they take the field.
Kickoff is at 8:30pm ET, with coverage on ESPN.