For those who appreciate the X’s and O’s of the game, it was pretty neat to watch how the Patriots manipulated matchups to create advantageous situations for their best players to make plays. The two things that stood out to me in the second half were going empty with two-back personnel (creating a matchup against the Texans’ base D) and creating an “open” side of the field by aligning both receivers to one side and attacking the “open” side in the passing game with tight end Rob Gronkowski and running back Shane Vereen matched up against linebackers and safeties. They also had some big runs against the Texans’ nickel defense out of their two-TE and two-back groupings. It was just another reminder to me that the Patriots’ coaching staff is always thinking and one of the best in the game.