The New England Patriots have passed all the tests they have faced to this point in the season. They earned the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs and the AFC East title as quarterback Drake Maye came of age in his second year in the NFL and head coach Mike Vrabel instilled new life and a new purpose in the team.
The Patriots had fallen by the wayside in the post-Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era and they are alive and well as they prepare to play the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs. While they escaped with a 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round, the triumph was not an easy one.
The New England offense was not the fluid machine it had been during the regular season. The Patriots were held without a touchdown through the first 3 quarters and that's not a great sign when preparing for the defensively dominant Texans. Maye was under pressure throughout the game against the Chargers and he was sacked 5 times by Los Angeles.
Additionally, while the Patriots were able to move the ball fairly well throughout the game, they were unable to put the ball into the endzone. New England had a 14-play, 93-yard drive that culminated early in the second quarter and they had to settle for an Andy Borregales 23-yard field goal for the opening points in the game. Shortly before halftime, they took possession at their own 46 and Maye was able to scramble 37 yards for a first down. They had to settle for another field goal.
Patriots have to slow down Houston's pass rush
The Chargers have a good defensive team and forced the Patriots to struggle. The Texans have a great defensive team led by defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Both are dynamic pass rushers and the Patriots will not be able to double-team both of them. They brutalized Aaron Rodgers of the Steelers in the Wild Card round, and the rest of the Houston front seven followed suit.
Hunter had 15.0 sacks during the regular season while Anderson added 12.0 of his own. Slowing down this 1-2 punch has to be a priority for the Patriots. The Texans had the No. 1 defense in the league as they allowed just 277.2 yards per game. They were also second in points allowed, giving up 17.4 per game.
If the Patriots fall behind early, the Texans will turn up the pass rush by a notch or two and that will make it that much harder for Maye and the Patriots to survive.
New England may be able to counter with the running game. The Patriots are going to need rookie TreVeyon Henderson and veteran Rhamondre Stevenson to find the creases and give the ground game credibility. They did that during the regular season, but they did not punish the Chargers. Stevenson had 53 yards on 10 carries, while Henderson was held to 27 yards on 9 carries. They will have to be more productive against the Texans.
Of course, the Patriots defense should be able to harass the Texans offense. QB C.J. Stroud was a fumbling machine in Houston's dominant 30-6 win over the Steelers and Patriots DE Milton Williams (2.0 sacks vs. Chargers) will be hungry to pressure the shaky Texans signal caller
Quick passes may be the key for Maye
The Patriots will be in trouble if offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels asks his offensive line to hold off the pass rush while Maye waits for his receivers to get deep downfield. New England must consider short passes with a quick Maye release if they are going to move the ball through the air.
This will not be easy since cornerbacks Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley Jr. are two of the best cover men in the league. Lassiter registered 17 passes defensed and 4 interceptions during the regular season while Stingley was right behind with 15 and 4. in those same categories.
Kayshon Boutte, Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry are going to have to be sharp to get the best of the Houston secondary. In addition to the short passes, Boutte, Diggs and fellow wideout Efton Chism III may be able to hook the defensive backs on a pump-and-go pattern if the Texans employ tight coverage. By faking an out pattern and streaking upfield, one of the Patriots receivers may be able to shock the Houston defense.
It will be up to Maye to deliver on a play like that. He has been up to the challenge throughout the season and he connected on 17 of 29 passes for 268 yards against the Chargers with 1 TD pass and an interception. It will be a challenge to match or better those figures against the dynamic Texans defense.
