The New England Patriots are ahead of the Houston Texans 31 to 13 going into the 4th Quarter, and this lead looks like it’s going to hold, unlike the wild Seattle Seahawks v Atlanta Falcons game earlier. UPDATE: Pats’ scored again to make it 37 to 13 – a blow-out.
The Pats are leading the Texans in every major statistical category, while just holding on to the ball a full 56 seconds more. Watching the game, it’s easy to see why: the Patriots launch each offensive play a full three seconds faster than the Texans, and have employed a no-huddle strategy from time to time in the game.
The Pats are playing a faster game than the Texans – passes are shorter; runs are quicker-hitting. In short, New England is boringly efficient.
They may be the Super Bowl Champions. And in making it this far, we’re seeing the emergence of a new formula: the fast offense. It started with Oregon, and getting plays off within 13 seconds, was used mostly by Peyton Manning with the Colts before that, and has a lineage that goes back to the “Sugar Huddle” used by Sam Wyche’s Cincinnati Bengals during the 80s.
Stay tuned.