Texans' Will Anderson Gives His Flowers to Patriots QB Drake Maye

The Houston Texans will have one of their biggest tests of the season when it comes to their matchup against an opposing quarterback, facing a league MVP candidate in New England Patriots signal-caller Drake Maye with stakes of an AFC conference championship on the line.

Maye has been a standout thrower all season, now rising to be considered one of the top young quarterbacks in the league today, and against Houston, will be searching for a second playoff win to add to his resume as the Texans travel to Foxborough.

It certainly won't be an easy task for the Patriots and their offense, though, as the Texans will arrive with one of the most elite and well-rounded defensive units in the entire NFL, and with their qualities on that end alone, could have enough to get over the hump for Houston's first-ever divisional win in franchise history.

Their star edge rusher, though, Will Anderson Jr., certainly isn't overlooking what Maye will bring for the Patriots under center, who's proven in just his second year pro, that he's made some serious strides from that last time Houston faced them in 2024.

“I would say he's taking off a little bit more this year, but, man, a ton of respect for a guy that I knew, coming out of college, saying, 'Man, he's going to be a top guy in this league," Anderson Jr. said of Drake Maye, via KPRC2's Aaron Wilson.

"Powerful arm, can run, can make throws, can use his legs, does a really good job of scanning the field, making big throws. You can see that progression that he's taking the next step, just scanning the whole field, looking for his receivers. But when it's not there, I think he does a really good job of using his legs. So, I would just say that he's not taking as many hits as he was before. Unbelievable player. I have a ton of respect for him. Can't wait to go against him.“

Will Anderson Has Tons of Respect for Drake Maye

It's hard not to be impressed by the leap that Maye's made into an MVP-caliber player following a bumpy rookie season in New England. As the Patriots' staff had been completely overhauled in the offseason, and the necessary tweaks and developments were made to Maye's game, it's helped him look even better in year two, that's led to his first-ever playoff win at just 23 years old.

Anderson's long been aware that the Patriots had a special talent in store with their young signal-caller, but also after meeting him at an award show just a couple of years back, he has a ton of respect for Maye as a person as well.

"First, I would just say who he is as a person. I remember I got a chance to meet him... at one of the award shows, and he was just a down to earth guy. But, obviously watching him in college, when he was at [North] Carolina, I was like, 'Oh, yeah, he's special, man."

"But like I said, he's a big quarterback, hard to bring down, to sling the ball down the field. He has all the attributes to be a really great quarterback."

Oct 13, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) sacks New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

What happens next for the Texans? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Texans news delivered to your inbox daily!

Make no mistake, Anderson and the Texans' defense won't be taking it any easier on Maye as they try to put up an even-better performance than their three-sack outing on New England in the regular season just one year ago. Yet, with the progression made from the Patriots' now-All-Pro selection heading into their playoff matchup at Gillette, it could make for a real challenge to overcome on both sides.

Expect a chess match between both the Texans and Patriots come their action this weekend, and for Houston, it will be a golden opportunity to overcome their previous woes in the divisional round, having been 0-6 throughout franchise history after advancing past the Wild Card.

Be sure to bookmark Houston Texans On SI and follow @TexansOnSI on X for daily Houston Texans news, interviews, breakdowns and more!