BOSTON – The Texans wrapped up their on-field preparations for the New England Patriots on Tuesday, still uncertain about which quarterback they might be facing when they take the field Thursday night.
Patriots starting quarterback Tom Brady is still serving a four-game suspension. His backup, Jimmy Garoppolo, started, and won, the Patriots first two games this season, but has a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder and his availability is not known.
That leaves rookie Jacoby Brissett, who took his first NFL snaps on Sunday in the Patriots win over the Dolphins, as the likely starter.
"We spent a lot of time on Jacoby in the draft (evaluations)," head coach Bill O'Brien said. "We spent a lot of time on Jacoby in the preseason. We do that with all the rookie quarterbacks."
"Is there a lot of pro information to go on? Obviously not," O'Brien added. "But there are a number of things that you can look at to try to gauge what he is as a player."
Brissett played 38 snaps on Sunday, throwing nine passes and completing six, while getting sacked twice. The Patriots scored one touchdown on the five drives he started after Garoppolo left the game.
"You watch the film that you have," Texans defensive end J.J. Watt said. "You prepare for everything you know about them and their team and their guys and then you just go out there and play."
"At the end of the day, you have to play your game, too," Watt said. "It's not just one team preparing for the other. Both teams have to prepare for somebody. They have to deal with us just like we have to deal with them."