The New England Patriots are heading into the Divisional Round of the playoffs with a renewed sense of purpose-and a shot at something few would’ve predicted just a year ago. After clinching the AFC East title and locking down the No. 2 seed, New England has re-established itself as a legitimate contender in the AFC. Credit goes to second-year quarterback Drake Maye, who’s taken a big step forward, and head coach Mike Vrabel, whose fingerprints are all over this team’s new identity.
But if their 16-3 Wild Card win over the Chargers showed us anything, it’s that this Patriots team still has some things to iron out before facing a Texans squad that’s been downright nasty on defense.
Let’s start with the offense. Maye and company moved the ball-at times impressively-but struggled to finish drives.
They went three quarters without a touchdown, and that’s not going to cut it against a Houston defense that thrives on pressure and punishes mistakes. Maye was sacked five times by the Chargers, and he rarely looked comfortable in the pocket.
The offensive line, which had been solid for most of the regular season, looked overmatched against a good-not great-Los Angeles pass rush.
Now they face a Texans front that’s on another level entirely.
Houston’s defense is led by a terrifying edge duo in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. These two have been a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks all season long-Hunter racked up 15 sacks in the regular season, Anderson added 12-and they’re coming off a dominant performance against the Steelers where they made Aaron Rodgers look like a rookie.
The Patriots can’t double-team both of them, and that’s the problem. If one gets loose, Maye could be in for a long afternoon.
And it’s not just the edge rushers. Houston’s front seven is relentless, and they’ve been the backbone of the league’s top-ranked defense in total yards allowed (277.2 per game) and second in points allowed (17.4 per game). If the Patriots fall behind early, the Texans will unleash the full force of that pass rush-and that’s when things could spiral.
So how do the Patriots counter? It starts with the run game.
Rookie TreVeyon Henderson and veteran Rhamondre Stevenson have to find ways to keep the Texans honest. They were both relatively quiet against the Chargers-Stevenson had 53 yards on 10 carries, while Henderson managed just 27 yards on 9 attempts-but this week, they’ll need to be more than just a change of pace.
They’ll need to be tone-setters.
On the other side of the ball, New England’s defense has quietly been one of the more disruptive units in the AFC. Defensive end Milton Williams had two sacks against the Chargers and will be key to making life difficult for Texans quarterback C.J.
Stroud. Stroud may have led Houston to a blowout win over Pittsburgh, but he also put the ball on the ground more than once.
If the Patriots can pressure him early and often, they might be able to force a few mistakes.
But the real chess match will come in the passing game. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has to be smart with how he schemes against this Texans secondary.
Asking the offensive line to hold up while Maye waits for deep routes to develop is a dangerous game. Quick throws, timing routes, and short passes might be the way to go-especially with cornerbacks like Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley Jr. lurking.
Lassiter had 17 passes defensed and 4 interceptions in the regular season. Stingley wasn’t far behind with 15 and 4.
These two don’t give up much, and they’ll be matched up with a Patriots receiving corps that needs to be on point. Kayshon Boutte, Stefon Diggs, and tight end Hunter Henry will have to be precise in their routes and sharp in their execution.
Efton Chism III could also be a factor, especially if the Patriots try to bait the Texans corners with double moves like pump-and-go routes. If they can sell the short route and break deep, there might be a window to exploit.
But that window will be small-and it’ll be up to Maye to hit it.
He’s shown poise beyond his years this season, and even in a tough outing against the Chargers, he still managed to complete 17 of 29 passes for 268 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The numbers don’t jump off the page, but considering the pressure he was under, it was a gutsy performance.
Now comes the real test. The Texans bring speed, power, and confidence into this matchup.
If the Patriots want to keep their postseason run alive, they’ll need to be sharper, tougher, and more creative than they were last week. The pieces are there.
The question is whether they can put it all together against one of the NFL’s most complete defenses.
Buckle up-this one’s going to be a battle.