With the 2012 season done, we’ve decided to take a look back the 10 best plays of the year for the Patriots. Not every one of the plays ended in a touchdown, sack or interception, but the combination of execution, results and situation led us to name it one of the best of the year.

We’ve started with two great plays from the defense -- Brandon Spikes delivering a goal-line hit to help turn the tide in a September win over the Bills and Rob Ninkovich’s strip-sack in overtime to beat the Jets in October. This time around, we’re going to give a shoutout to the offense, specifically the first-quarter touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Brandon Lloyd, one of six touchdowns in the Patriots’ rout of the Texans, 42-14.

DATE: Dec. 10, 2012. The Patriots and Texans were in a showdown for AFC supremacy in Foxboro -- Houston was touted as one of the best teams to ever come into Gillette Stadium in December, while New England was still trying to figure out a way to land one of the top two spots in the AFC playoff chase. Adding to the level of hype around the game was the sight of Houston wearing its sharp new lettermen jackets to the game, while goofball Donald Trump wished the Patriots and coach “Bob Belichick” good luck via Twitter before the contest. 

THE SITUATION: The Patriots had already taken advantage of several Houston mistakes in the early going to take a 7-0 lead, and were driving for a second touchdown late in the first quarter. New England was clearly smelling blood against a young Houston team that had already given off signals it was in over its head, taking some ill-timed penalties and negative plays. Following a Devin McCourty interception on the New England goal line -- McCourty brought it out to the Patriots’ 18-yard line -- Brady and the New England offense took over again, quickly maneuvering into Houston territory with some aggressive play calling.

WHAT HAPPENED: With just under three minutes left in the first quarter, the Patriots were sitting on a 1st and 10 at the Houston 37-yard line. New England broke the huddle with three tight ends, along with Lloyd (who was split wide right) and Stevan Ridley in the backfield. Brady opened the play under center, and after taking the snap, slid to the right side of the line as he executed a perfect stretch-fake to Ridley. While Lloyd took off down the middle, the entire Houston defense slid to Brady’s right (their left) in anticipation of Ridley getting the ball. (On the game film, you can count no fewer than EIGHT Houston defenders start to pursue Ridley, who moves quickly as if he’s jumping to the outside, behind right tackle Sebastian Vollmer.)

While almost the entire Houston defense has bit hard on the play-fake, no one has bitten harder than Texans defensive back Glover Quin, who comes crashing down from his safety spot when he sees the stretch begin ... and then has to turn in horror and bust his bump 180 degrees in the opposite direction as Lloyd runs right past him. By the time he realizes his mistake, it’s too late. While it’s Houston corner Johnathan Joseph who is the last guy in the picture who is trying to chase down Lloyd from behind, it’s Quin who abandoned his man because of the great fake to Ridley. Brady hits Lloyd perfectly, and the wide receiver -- who had no one within almost 10 yards of him when he catches the ball at about the three-yard line -- coasts into the end zone for his easiest touchdown of the season.

WHO STEPPED UP: I can’t stress this enough -- the fake was masterful. Both Brady and Ridley did a brilliant job of selling it, as well the offensive line, which made it look just like a run out of the gate. Brady hit Lloyd in stride, and all he had to do was catch the ball and walk into the end zone. A perfectly executed offensive play by all 11 players who were on the field at the time -- one of the finest plays of the season for the New England offense.

WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT: The play effectively closed out the Texans, who came into the contest touting the game as the most important game in franchise history, and left Gillette Stadium that night humbled. New England, which busted out to a 21-0 lead, stumbled a bit midway through the game, but the early cushion was more than enough down the stretch.

(It was hard not to notice the fact that the Patriots executed the play-fake so successfully against a team that used play-action as its’ calling card over the course of the 2012 season. According to Pro Football Focus, Schaub and the Texans used play-action on 25.7 percent of their dropbacks, sixth-most in the league. There was an interesting irony to the sight of the Patriots gashing Houston with one of its own weapons.) 

QUOTE: “Cute. They look like a high school swim team.” -- One anonymous Patriot speaking with Mike Freeman of CBS Sports after the game about Houston’s letterman jackets.

POSTSCRIPT: For the first 12 games of the 2012 season, the Texans proved themselves to be one of the best young teams in football, but down the stretch and into the postseason, they were exposed as a franchise that wasn’t quite ready for prime time. There’s a lot to like about what Houston has done as of late, but in their two losses to the Patriots (the one in the regular season and the one in the playoffs) as well as the bad defeats to Indy and Minnesota are an indication that they still have some growing to do. Houston will get another crack at New England in 2013 -- the Patriots will meet the Texans in Houston. It will be interesting to see how they respond the next time around.