Thursday Night Football: New England Patriots @ Houston Texans

Tom Brady is suspended. Jimmy Garoppolo is hurt, and expected not to dress. Rookie Jacoby Brissett - he of 6 career completions - is the likely starter at quarterback, on a short week of practice. Wide receiver Julian Edelman is backing him up. The Patriots might find a way to win this game anyway. Especially if Rob Gronkowski is back and anywhere close to his usual self.

The Texans are no walkover, however. J.J. Watt leads a strong defensive unit, and the offense looks to have taken a step forward from last season. The Patriots under Bill Belichick always seem particularly good at scheming to stop the other team's best offensive threat, in this case DeAndre Hopkins. This could put the game on rookie wideout Will Fuller, who has shown early promise. Brock Osweiler has shown mixed returns on the significant investment the Texans made in him, but this game could be a chance to step up against top-tier competition and one of the best defensive minds in the league.

Here's hoping the Texans are the team to finally pin a loss on the Brady-less Patriots. Please share your thoughts below and as usual please don't ask for or provide illegal streams.