Quarterback issues continue for the Patriots, especially with the latest injury to Jimmy Garoppolo. What's the mood in Boston heading into this Thursday night game?
Volin: The mood at first when Jimmy got hurt, the Patriots really just held on for the win against the Dolphins on Sunday. There's a lot of disappointment. There was talk that Jimmy might be out for six weeks and this was his one chance to play and it only lasted a game and a half. Everyone from the players to the fans to the coaches, everyone was felt so horrible for Jimmy. The news has been a little more up in the air on Garoppolo. We aren't quite sure what the injury, how long it's going to take for him to heal. There's a chance he still might be able to play before Tom Brady comes back in Week 5.
So (there's) a little nervousness about Jacoby Brissett, the rookie third-round pick. They really had to manage the game with him against the Dolphins. A ton of running plays and just some play-action, screen passes. Obviously, I think everyone in New England respects the Texans defense, J.J. Watt, Vince Wilfork and everything that Bill O'Brien can do with that team, so there's a little bit of concern, but there's also a feeling that the Patriots are playing with house money right now because they are 2-0 without Tom Brady. Even if they go 2-2, they are still in decent position for when Brady returns. I think there is some concern about the quarterback position, but at the same time, everybody knows that Brady is coming back in a couple weeks.
Many thought that Tom Brady being out for a four-game suspension might be a good time to face the Patriots, but with Jimmy Garoppolo's performance: 234 yards, 3 touchdowns, no picks, 130.8 passer rating through these two games, how surprised is everyone? Especially those that cover the team and watched him practice, what he's been able to do in two weeks.
Well, the teammates and the coaches all say that they knew Jimmy was a great player, they expected this out of him, and of course they're going to say that. Garoppolo is playing a heck of a lot better now than he did during training camp and the preseason game, which I think maybe tells us how much you can really take away from training camp practices and preseason games, when they aren't really game- planning and they don't have the full lineup in there. 
During the preseason games, Garoppolo did not handle the blitz that well. He did not look decisive. He was standing too long in the pocket with the ball in his hands, and he could not be more different these last two games against the Cardinals and now the Dolphins. Josh McDaniels has done a great job calling the right plays, using one play to set up another and quick passing plays where Garoppolo has some defined reads and he could get the ball out of his hands quickly before the blitz gets there. When I've re-watched the Patriots Dolphins game, the Dolphins blitzed Garoppolo a lot. They blitzed him nine times, he completed eight passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, so Jimmy was great against the blitz and able to sniff out the defense. Man coverage or zone coverage, they changed the play based on it. A great connection with Edelman and not even playing with Rob Gronkowski. 
It's a testament to the coaching and it's obviously a testament to Garoppolo and how much he has developed over the last two years, so it's been night and day. Not that he had a terrible training camp, but he looked up and down. There was even talks from Patriots fans that maybe Jacoby Brissett should start these games. Jimmy put all those doubts to rest. He looks pretty great out here so far.
Rookie Jacoby Brissett, overall, how well did he do in his first NFL game on the field and in the huddle, and did that sort of impact his play throughout the game having that big lead?
Definitely, it helped that he came in the game, it was 21-0 and he just finished out a field-goal drive, so it was really 24-0 when Brissett came in, and he did okay. You know, 6-of-9, 92 yards passing. Like I said, it was almost all screen passes, play action and very basic, defined throws just to get the ball out of his hands quickly. He did a nice job running the offense. 
Brissett did okay, but he's not Garoppolo and he's certainly not Brady. They really have to simplify the offense for him and a lot of screen passes and heavy doses of LeGarrette Blount. If Brissett is the one that ends up starting against the Texans, it's going to be a tough fight for the Patriots offense, especially against a very good Texans defense that is very active in the front seven.
Tight end Martellus Bennett didn't have much production in the first week, because he was mostly blocking, but scored a touchdown in Sunday's game. How has he helped the tight end group with no Rob Gronkowski?
The trade for Martellus Bennett in the offseason is looking smarter and smarter. He's another guy where preseason, as we can see, doesn't mean a whole lot because he barely did anything in the preseason games and he seems to be going kind of in half speed, a little bit. Maybe in veteran mode, not to get hurt, and there was some talk of 'what's wrong with Martellus Bennett?' but he's been a work horse for them the first two games, playing just about 100 percent of snaps. As you said, doing a lot of blocking in the run game and in the passing game to help to sell the play action passes, really using his body and helping out his team, punishing some defensive ends and linebackers in the run game and then he had over 100-yards receiving – some really nice catch-and-runs off of screen passes and short dumpoffs. 
Bennett showing how important he is as a three-down player, both with good receiving skills and excellent blocking skills as well. When they do get Gronk back, whether that's this week or next week, they're going to have two of these guys in the offense because Gronk is the same thing. He is a great blocker, and then we all know he's a beast in the passing game. The Patriots, the last couple years, when Gronk gets hurt, the offense takes a huge hit, and Bennett is not Rob Gronkowski but the offense can keep humming along without Gronk because Bennett is able to fill in and do some of the same things.
Patriots' defense allowed just a field goal in that first half against the Dolphins but then allowed 14 unanswered points in the second half as the Dolphins were making a late comeback. Was that more of the Dolphins offense getting into a rhythm or is there concern that the New England defense was letting up in such a big lead?
There's definitely some concern about the Patriots defense. They couldn't get any pass rush on Ryan Tannehill. He just had all day to throw. They tried some zone blitzing, but it just didn't work. They were playing without linebacker Dont'a Hightower, who is captain of the defense, the main communicator – wears the green dot and gets everyone lined up. That was a big loss and he's really good at rushing the passer as well, so they missed Dont'a Hightower. We'll see if he can come back against the Texans. They also don't have Rob Ninkovich, their starting defensive end. He's currently suspended for four games. (defensive end) Chris Long picked up the slack. He had a really nice game. I think he hit Tannehill three times, recovered a fumble, had a sack on third down and one of his other hits led to an interception to (linebacker) Jamie Collins. Chris Long has been very active all over the place, but they just haven't been able to generate much pass rush. 
The secondary is a little banged up. (Cornerback) Malcolm Butler is dealing with an ankle injury right now, so we'll see if he is able to matchup one-on-one with DeAndre Hopkins or how the Patriots handle that. Disappointing second half, definitely, for the Patriots. They allowed Ryan Tannehill to throw for 384 yards – he carved them up. The Dolphins really just ran out of time at the end. Otherwise, they were moving the ball pretty much at will in the second half. The Patriots were barely able to hang on. They do have a very good defense. I think missing Dont'a Hightower really hurt them.
The big storyline whenever the Texans face the Patriots, especially with this coaching staff, are all the connections between Bill O'Brien and Bill Belichick and the time he spent up there. How much is it a storyline for you guys up there covering the team? Having Romeo Crennel come back, having Mike Vrabel, Larry Izzo, our special teams coordinator, Vince Wilfork and seeing this reunion of sorts?
Yeah, I think certainly for the long-time fans, it's always great to see the old Patriots. Those guys you mentioned, especially Vrabel and Wilfork, have been a part of so many positive memories and lifelong memories for the Patriots. That's always great to see but at the same time, it has been a while since even Bill O'Brien – his last season here, I believe, was 2011. Vince Wilfork is the more recent one and this will be his first game in Gillette Stadium as a visitor. I know he played the Patriots last year at home down in Houston, so this will be an emotional game for him. Everyone still loves big Vince around here and he is going to be a lifelong Patriot, but it's not the biggest story. I think the issue that everyone is talking about today is obviously the quarterback: Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett and how the Patriots are going to be able to move the football for another week or two until Tom Brady comes back.

*

In The Know is an ongoing series with the opposing team's beat writer. This week, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe gives insight on the Texans upcoming opponent, the New England Patriots.

*Quarterback issues continue for the Patriots, especially with the latest injury to Jimmy Garoppolo. What's the mood in Boston heading into this Thursday night game?
 
Volin: The mood at first when Jimmy got hurt, the Patriots really just held on for the win against the Dolphins on Sunday. There's a lot of disappointment. There was talk that Jimmy might be out for six weeks and this was his one chance to play and it only lasted a game and a half. Everyone from the players to the fans to the coaches, everyone was felt so horrible for Jimmy. The news has been a little more up in the air on Garoppolo. We aren't quite sure what the injury, how long it's going to take for him to heal. There's a chance he still might be able to play before Tom Brady comes back in Week 5.

So (there's) a little nervousness about Jacoby Brissett, the rookie third-round pick. They really had to manage the game with him against the Dolphins. A ton of running plays and just some play-action, screen passes. Obviously, I think everyone in New England respects the Texans defense, J.J. Watt, Vince Wilfork and everything that Bill O'Brien can do with that team, so there's a little bit of concern, but there's also a feeling that the Patriots are playing with house money right now because they are 2-0 without Tom Brady. Even if they go 2-2, they are still in decent position for when Brady returns. I think there is some concern about the quarterback position, but at the same time, everybody knows that Brady is coming back in a couple weeks.

**

Many thought that Tom Brady being out for a four-game suspension might be a good time to face the Patriots, but with Jimmy Garoppolo's performance: 234 yards, 3 touchdowns, no picks, 130.8 passer rating through these two games, how surprised is everyone? Especially those that cover the team and watched him practice, what he's been able to do in two weeks.

**Volin: Well, the teammates and the coaches all say that they knew Jimmy was a great player, they expected this out of him, and of course they're going to say that. Garoppolo is playing a heck of a lot better now than he did during training camp and the preseason game, which I think maybe tells us how much you can really take away from training camp practices and preseason games, when they aren't really game- planning and they don't have the full lineup in there. 

During the preseason games, Garoppolo did not handle the blitz that well. He did not look decisive. He was standing too long in the pocket with the ball in his hands, and he could not be more different these last two games against the Cardinals and now the Dolphins. Josh McDaniels has done a great job calling the right plays, using one play to set up another and quick passing plays where Garoppolo has some defined reads and he could get the ball out of his hands quickly before the blitz gets there. When I've re-watched the Patriots Dolphins game, the Dolphins blitzed Garoppolo a lot. They blitzed him nine times, he completed eight passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, so Jimmy was great against the blitz and able to sniff out the defense. Man coverage or zone coverage, they changed the play based on it. A great connection with Edelman and not even playing with Rob Gronkowski. 

It's a testament to the coaching and it's obviously a testament to Garoppolo and how much he has developed over the last two years, so it's been night and day.
Not that he had a terrible training camp, but he looked up and down. There was even talks from Patriots fans that maybe Jacoby Brissett should start these games. Jimmy put all those doubts to rest. He looks pretty great out here so far.

Rookie Jacoby Brissett, overall, how well did he do in his first NFL game on the field and in the huddle, and did that sort of impact his play throughout the game having that big lead?

Volin: Definitely, it helped that he came in the game, it was 21-0 and he just finished out a field-goal drive, so it was really 24-0 when Brissett came in, and he did okay. You know, 6-of-9, 92 yards passing. Like I said, it was almost all screen passes, play action and very basic, defined throws just to get the ball out of his hands quickly. He did a nice job running the offense. 

Brissett did okay, but he's not Garoppolo and he's certainly not Brady. They really have to simplify the offense for him and a lot of screen passes and heavy doses of LeGarrette Blount. If Brissett is the one that ends up starting against the Texans, it's going to be a tough fight for the Patriots offense, especially against a very good Texans defense that is very active in the front seven.

Tight end Martellus Bennett didn't have much production in the first week, because he was mostly blocking, but scored a touchdown in Sunday's game. How has he helped the tight end group with no Rob Gronkowski?

Volin: The trade for Martellus Bennett in the offseason is looking smarter and smarter. He's another guy where preseason, as we can see, doesn't mean a whole lot because he barely did anything in the preseason games and he seems to be going kind of in half speed, a little bit. Maybe in veteran mode, not to get hurt, and there was some talk of 'what's wrong with Martellus Bennett?' but he's been a work horse for them the first two games, playing just about 100 percent of snaps. As you said, doing a lot of blocking in the run game and in the passing game to help to sell the play action passes, really using his body and helping out his team, punishing some defensive ends and linebackers in the run game and then he had over 100-yards receiving – some really nice catch-and-runs off of screen passes and short dumpoffs. 
 
Bennett showing how important he is as a three-down player, both with good receiving skills and excellent blocking skills as well. When they do get Gronk back, whether that's this week or next week, they're going to have two of these guys in the offense because Gronk is the same thing. He is a great blocker, and then we all know he's a beast in the passing game. The Patriots, the last couple years, when Gronk gets hurt, the offense takes a huge hit, and Bennett is not Rob Gronkowski but the offense can keep humming along without Gronk because Bennett is able to fill in and do some of the same things.

**

The Patriots defense allowed just a field goal in that first half against the Dolphins but then allowed 14 unanswered points in the second half as the Dolphins were making a late comeback. Was that more of the Dolphins offense getting into a rhythm or is there concern that the New England defense was letting up in such a big lead?**  
Volin: There's definitely some concern about the Patriots defense. They couldn't get any pass rush on Ryan Tannehill. He just had all day to throw. They tried some zone blitzing, but it just didn't work. They were playing without linebacker Dont'a Hightower, who is captain of the defense, the main communicator – wears the green dot and gets everyone lined up. That was a big loss and he's really good at rushing the passer as well, so they missed Dont'a Hightower. We'll see if he can come back against the Texans. They also don't have Rob Ninkovich, their starting defensive end. He's currently suspended for four games. (defensive end) Chris Long picked up the slack. He had a really nice game. I think he hit Tannehill three times, recovered a fumble, had a sack on third down and one of his other hits led to an interception to (linebacker) Jamie Collins. Chris Long has been very active all over the place, but they just haven't been able to generate much pass rush. 

The secondary is a little banged up. (Cornerback) Malcolm Butler is dealing with an ankle injury right now, so we'll see if he is able to matchup one-on-one with DeAndre Hopkins or how the Patriots handle that. Disappointing second half, definitely, for the Patriots. They allowed Ryan Tannehill to throw for 384 yards – he carved them up. The Dolphins really just ran out of time at the end. Otherwise, they were moving the ball pretty much at will in the second half. The Patriots were barely able to hang on. They do have a very good defense. I think missing Dont'a Hightower really hurt them.

The big storyline whenever the Texans face the Patriots, especially with this coaching staff, are all the connections between Bill O'Brien and Bill Belichick and the time he spent up there. How much is it a storyline for you guys up there covering the team? Having Romeo Crennel come back, having Mike Vrabel, Larry Izzo, our special teams coordinator, Vince Wilfork and seeing this reunion of sorts?
 
Volin: Yeah, I think certainly for the long-time fans, it's always great to see the old Patriots. Those guys you mentioned, especially Vrabel and Wilfork, have been a part of so many positive memories and lifelong memories for the Patriots. That's always great to see but at the same time, it has been a while since even Bill O'Brien – his last season here, I believe, was 2011. Vince Wilfork is the more recent one and this will be his first game in Gillette Stadium as a visitor. I know he played the Patriots last year at home down in Houston, so this will be an emotional game for him.

Everyone still loves big Vince around here and he is going to be a lifelong Patriot, but it's not the biggest story. I think the issue that everyone is talking about today is obviously the quarterback: Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett and how the Patriots are going to be able to move the football for another week or two until Tom Brady comes back.