Patriots-Texans Fun Facts
BOSTON (CBS) - Here are some fun facts for the Patriots-Texans Monday night showdown.
- New England has now qualified for the playoffs 20 times in their 53-year history.
- The Pats have won 12 AFC East titles under Robert Kraft, and 15 division crowns overall.
- The Patriots own winning records against every team in the AFC South.
December Greatness
- The Patriots have won 12 straight regular season games in December. The streak started in 2009 against the Carolina Panthers.
- The Pats have a 20-1 home record in the month of December dating back to 2002 -- the best in the NFL. They have won 19 straight at home in December.
- The Pats are also an NFL best 42-5 in the month of December since 2001.
- Bill Belichick is 44-7 with New England in the month of December.
Monday Night Football
- New England is 21-22 all-time on Monday Night Football, including 14-5 under coach Belichick and 6-1 at home.
- Tom Brady is 12-4 on Monday Night Football, and he has thrown four touchdowns in two of his last three Monday Night games.
- Bill Belichick is 15-8 all-time on Monday Night Football.
Series History
- The Patriots and the Texans will meet for the fourth time since Houston entered the NFL in 2002. New England is 2-1 against them.
- The Texans lost 47-7 in their first and only visit to Gillette Stadium on December 16th, 2006.
Connections
- Patriots tackle Sebastian Vollmer played his college ball at the University of Houston.
- Texans kicker Shayne Grasham played eight games for the Patriots in 2010 and was a perfect 12-for-12 on field goals.
Milestones
- Bill Belichick needs one more win to break a tie with Dan Reeves and move into sole possession of seventh place all-time.
- With one touchdown pass, Tom Brady will extend his streak to 45 straight games with at least one touchdown pass. It's the third longest streak of all-time.
- Wes Welker needs eight more receptions to become the first player in NFL history with five 100- catch seasons.
- With one win, the Pats will secure their 10th straight season with at least 10 wins.
- Tom Brady is the first starting back in NFL history with 10 division titles . Joe Montana had 9.