Patriots vs. Texans 2015 picks and predictions: Most experts picking New England

The New England Patriots won their first 10 games of the year. Looking at the schedule, it didn't look like there was a loss in sight, especially with Peyton Manning playing so poorly before getting injured for the Denver Broncos. But Tom Brady couldn't lead New England to a win over Brock Osweiler and the Broncos in Week 12.

The following week Brady fell short again, as the Philadelphia Eagles put up 35 points. Brady and the Patriots attempted a late comeback, ultimately scoring 28 points against the suspect Eagles defense, but they still came up short. They're now at 10-2, still well in control of the AFC East, but they failed to punch their ticket into the playoffs in Week 13 and lost the top seed in the conference, at least for now.

On Sunday, the Patriots will face the Houston Texans on NBC's Sunday Night Football and it should be an exciting game. The Texans started the season with four losses in five games, but now they have won four of their last five. They had a four-game winning streak snapped in their last game, a loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Brian Hoyer threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns in that loss, but he also had an interception and the Bills made fewer mistakes. Hoyer has played well since head coach Bill O'Brien finally settled on him as the starter, and the Texans, at 6-6, are in the playoff race both in the AFC South and in the wild card picture.