Electric Patriots Offense Must Prepare for Gritty Texans Defense

FOXBOROUGH, MA. — With the stage now set for their Divisional Round showdown against the Houston Texans, the New England Patriots have begun preparations in earnest for perhaps their toughest test to date.

While New England’s offense has experienced a pseudo-renaissance this season under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, the Texans defense has both the personnel and prowess to make life miserable for quarterback Drake Maye and the Pats’ supporting offensive cast.

The Texans finished the regular season ranked first in the NFL in total defense (277 yards allowed per game) and second in scoring defense (17.4 points allowed per game) — while also ranking third overall with 29 total takeaways. Led by an imposing tandem of defensive tackles — Danielle Hunter (54 total tackles, 12 sacks) and Will Anderson Jr. (54 total tackles, 12 sacks) — the Texans defense often succeeds in intimidating opposing offenses before they arrive on the field.

Fortunately for the Patriots, they have the personnel — led by Maye — to give Houston’s preventive unit all it can handle in this upcoming playoff clash.

Much like the Patriots in their 16-3 playoff victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Texans parlayed a dominant defensive performance into a late-game surge on offense to earn the 30-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the week’s final wild card round game. Houston’s defense generated two turnovers for touchdowns, sacked Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers four times, and limited Pittsburgh to just 175 net yards on offense.

Still … as impressive as Houston’s defensive performance was against Pittsburgh, it should be noted that the unit looked remarkably human in their final four regular season games. The Texans allowed an average of 21.8 points per game over that stretch to the Arizona Cardinals (20 pts.), Las Vegas Raiders (21 pts.), Los Angeles Chargers (16 pts.) and 31 points to an Indianapolis Colts offense which had recently been decimated by injury.

The Patriots Offense Can Win This Battle

While few, if any, would rationally suggest that Houston’s defense is not a force with which to be reckoned, it can be neutralized with proper game-planning and execution.

In contract to the Texans elite-level defensive rankings, the Patriots ranked third in the league in total offense (379.4 yards per game,) fourth in passing offense (250.5 yards, 31 touchdowns) and second in scoring offense by averaging 28.8 points per game. As for Maye, he put up MVP-caliber numbers, finishing the year having completed 72 percent of his passes for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also added 450 rushing yards and four scores on the ground.

Unsurprisingly, New England has found much of their success on offense this season by generating explosive plays — utilizing Maye’s elite arm strength and exceptional athleticism to their full advantage. However, the Texans’ pass rush is unlikely to provide him with a wealth of time to operate in the pocket.

In order to counteract the Texans’ pressure, the Patriots offensive line must make every effort to block it from the outset. Against the Chargers, the Pats o-line failed to win the battle in the trenches — as the Bolts produced 12 total pressures and held the Patriots to an average 38% rushing success rate. In particular, rookie left tackle Will Campbell (two sacks, six total pressures) and left guard Jared Wilson (two sacks, four total pressures) struggled to keep pace with L.A.’s defensive front.

Oct 13, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws the ball against the Houston Texans during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

To put it concisely, the Patriots will need a significantly better performance against the Texans. New England must prioritize coaching up the line — especially their pair of rookies on the left — to withstand Houston’s expected onslaught. Otherwise, the metaphorical quicksand could engulf Maye before long.

Additionally, the Pats’ newly-minted All Pro quarterback must rid himself of the ball early — by either making the throw before the three-step, or by scrambling. In doing so, he can help to mitigate the impact of both Anderson and Hunter, who excel in generating pressure against opposing quarterbacks without needing to dial-up blitzes. In fact, one might be surprised that Houston’s ranks 28th in the NFL in blitz rate. Conversely, their defensive front creates pressure through skillful domination of the line of scrimmage, allowing them to keep additional defenders in coverage.

Should New England find success in holding the line, expect Maye and company to test the Texans’ secondary with a deep passing attack. Despite their front seven supremacy, Houston ranks only 14th in explosive pass play rate allowed. Accordingly, receivers Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte could help to take some of the workload pressure off of running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.

In the final analysis, the time for the talk will soon be over — with the Texans defense taking their talents to Foxborough for a clash with the Patriots offense on Jan 18 at 3:00pm ET from Gillette Stadium — a matchup which promises to be a true test of strength-on-strength.

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