Rookie Jacoby Brissett, LeGarrette Blount lead Patriots past 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, 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 and the first time the Texans have been shut out since 2003.

Brissett began the season as the third-string quarterback behind Tom Brady, the franchise cornerstone who is serving a four-game suspension for his role in “Deflategate,” and Jimmy Garoppolo – inactive after injuring his right shoulder last week against Miami. Brissett’s start on Thursday was the first time that New England had started a rookie quarterback since Drew Bledsoe in 1993.

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 for the Texans.