WHEN: 12:00 p.m. CT

WHERE: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

FORECAST: Partly cloudy, 75 degrees, 4 mph winds (indoors)

FOLLOW: @therealmarklane, @thetexanswire

LISTEN: Sports Radio 610 and 100.3 The Bull

WATCH: CBS (Andrew Catalon & James Lofton)

RED: Tennssee-Baltimore

BLUE: Pittsburgh-Jacksonville

BROWN: New England-Houston

TEAL: Cincinnati-Washington

GREEN: Miami-Denver (late)

YELLOW: LA Charges-NY Jets (late)

Source: 506 Sports

10. Deshaun Watson’s rank for passing touchdowns

Watson is tied with Drew Brees for the 10th-most touchdown passes this season with 18. Watson will have to put up a performance worthy of cracking the top-5 by the end of the week if the Texans are to beat New England.

9. The Patriots’ rank for rushing yards surrendered

New England gives up 129.2 rushing yards per game, the ninth-most in the league. If the Texans, who will be starting Duke Johnson again at running back, can find a way to ignite their run game, then they could have another way to attack the Patriots and also complement Deshaun Watson.

8. Houston’s rank for time of possession per drive

The Texans possess the ball for 2:40 per drive, tied with Washington and the Chicago Bears for the eighth-shortest duration in the league. Last week, the Browns possessed the ball for almost seven minutes longer than the Texans, churning 231 rushing yards in the process. If New England seeks to employ the same strategy, Houston will have to sustain longer drives that end in touchdowns.

7. Cam Newton’s interceptions

The former 2015 NFL MVP has thrown seven picks on the year, which is a 3.4 interception percentage, the seventh-highest in the league. Newton could provide the Texans’ defense with chances for takeaways. Given their emphasis on the run game, if Newton has an errant pass, Houston has to take advantage.

6. New England’s rank for yards after the catch surrendered

It may not be a good game for receiver Randall Cobb and tight Jordan Akins, who thrive on yards after the catch. The Patriots give up the sixth-fewest yards after the catch with 980 on the season. Where Deshaun Watson throws the ball may be where it ends up.

5. The Texans’ takeaways

Copy and paste from last week. Last week, they were tied with the Las Vegas Raiders for the fewest in the league, but even Jon Gruden’s team managed to get turnovers in bunches while Houston procured none in the 10-7 loss to the Cleveland Browns. If Houston wants to avoid another L, they will have to get some turnovers.

4. Zach Cunningham’s rank for combined tackles

The former 2017 second-round pick has tallied 92 combined tackles, the fourth-most in the NFL. As he leads a defense going against Cam Newton, Cunningham will have to be on his A-game.

3. New England’s rank for missed tackles

The Patriots may be 4-5, but they don’t make many mistakes. With 47 missed tackles on the year, the third-fewest in the NFL, don’t expect New England to have many missed assignments or poor technique.

2. Cunningham’s rank for missed tackles

The inside linebacker has given up 12 missed tackles this season, tied with the Baltimore Ravens’ Patrick Queen for the second-most in the NFL. Cunningham can’t add to this total in Week 11 if Houston’s defense is to have a shot at stopping New England’s rushing offense.

1. Houston’s rank for rushing yards surrendered per game, per carry, and opposing passer rating

The Texans give up 167.4 rushing yards per game, 5.2 yards per carry, and opposing quarterbacks have compiled a 109.0 passer rating against them. All three of those stats are worst in the NFL. The defense may not be there for Houston, and it probably will all be on Deshaun Watson’s shoulders to play a perfect game.