Last November, when Brock Osweiler and the Broncos beat the Patriots in overtime, Chris Long was watching the broadcast. He was impressed with what he saw in Osweiler: a strong, accurate thrower who was mobile when necessary.
“As big and as physical as he is, he’s not just standing there doing nothing,’’ said Long, who at the time was with the Rams and is now starting at defensive end for the Patriots. “He can move around in the pocket and he can hurt you with his legs, too, so you know, he is a real throwback quarterback that can do it all.’’
The Patriots know that when they face the Texans Thursday night, they’ll be up against a team that is dominant on defense and has also given its young quarterback a Swiss army knife of tools to succeed with on offense. Osweiler comes to New England armed with the dual threat of DeAndre Hopkins and rookie Will Fuller at wide receiver.
“It’s very hard,’’ said Patriots defensive captain Devin McCourty. “You play a team that has one good vertical receiver, you can try to change your coverage up to make sure that you’re covering them, but you play a team with two and it’s a lot harder.’’
Hopkins alone is a tough cover. First, a defensive back has to keep up with his blazing speed and ability to change directions on a dime. Even if he manages to stay tight to Hopkins, the receiver’s dangling arms and massive hands can create separation at the last second going up for a ball.
“I don’t care if there are defenders on top of him jumping with him, if there are two guys jumping with him, he does a great job of just locating the football and being able to go up in traffic and get it,’’ McCourty said.
Double-teaming Hopkins comes at a steep price. The Texans drafted Fuller in the first round and have seen him become the first rookie receiver since DeSean Jackson in 2008 to pass the 100-yard mark in each of his first two games. Fuller also has blazing speed that makes him a threat on deep vertical routes; his 211 yards so far have come on just nine catches.
“You can’t just worry about Hopkins,’’ said McCourty. “You do that, and he’ll burn you for two 30-, 50-yard bombs.’’
Cornerback Malcolm Butler said Fuller is dangerous in all parts of the field.
“He can go downfield and catch the ball; that lets you know that he can catch the ball short also,’’ said Butler. “You’ve got to be ready for anything.
“They’ve got a good group of wide receivers. Those guys complement each other, so they can spread the ball around anywhere.’’
It doesn’t stop there. The Texans added running back Lamar Miller during the offseason to aid their ground game. Miller had 83 yards on 25 carries against the Chiefs last Sunday.
The Patriots know Miller from his days in Miami. He has averaged 55 yards per game on the ground and as a pass catcher in eight games against New England since his rookie season in 2012.
“He created a lot of challenges there, whether it be screen passes, running between the tackles, so he’s just a very good back,’’ said McCourty, “and I think they were able to plug him into their offense, which uses the back in many different ways.’’
If Osweiler and the offense get into a rhythm, the Houston defense is built to make it difficult to keep up with them. J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus & Co. are averaging 4.5 sacks a game, and opponents are scoring just 13.0 points per game against Houston, which could add up to a tough night, particularly if Patriots rookie Jacoby Brissett makes his first start.
“They’re very physical up front,’’ noted Patriots rookie left guard Joe Thuney. “They’ve got a lot of great players. So it’s really going to come down to a lot of technique and, you know, working together this week.’’
What about the secondary, then? That can’t be scary, too, can it? The Texans defense starts with its pass rush, but cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson have been teammates since 2011 and work well in tandem.
“The DBs have a lot of experience,’’ said Patriots receiver Danny Amendola. “We have a lot of experience with them. I played them last year, a couple years before that, too, so they have guys that have been around in their secondary for a long time. We have a lot of film on them with that said, too.’’
The Patriots have every reason to talk up the Texans, who, though talented, aren’t foolproof. Miller’s 25 carries last Sunday might have netted more yardage had he been running behind a better line, and Osweiler has thrown three interceptions in two games.
Of course, the Patriots aren’t inclined to mention those things.
But the different ways the Texans could challenge them? Let them count the ways.
►Garoppolo listed as doubtful; Edelman to backup? D5
Nora Princiotti can be reached at nora.princiotti@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @NoraPrinciotti.
