The New England Patriots entered Week 3 beset by injuries. The team was on their third-string quarterback. Their star tight end had yet to take the field. Head coach Bill Belichick had only four days to get a rookie quarterback ready to face an undefeated opponent and the league's best defensive player.
Yawn.
The Patriots didn't just beat the Houston Texans Thursday night to move to 3-0 on the season. They throttled them 27-0. And in doing so, the Pats sent a message to the rest of the AFC.
That message read, "We're the best team in the league—and we'll beat you senseless with one hand tied behind our backs.