FOXBOROUGH — On the heels of their first playoff appearance in franchise history, the Houston Texans have been the class of the AFC so far this season, riding a stingy, big-play defense to an 11-1 record.

Pass-swatting defensive end J.J. Watt might be getting most of the attention — for good reason — but it’s the Texans’ talent on the other side of the ball, not to mention Houston’s offensive scheme, that could play a deciding role in Monday’s prime-time showdown with the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.