Pats Pulpit
Now that we’re full-on into the playoffs, it’s time to stop looking in the rearview with our Secret Superstars series, and start looking forward to the next game with postseason X-Factors. The principle is the same — using game tape and metrics to uncover those hidden gems for every team who are primed to bring their best when their franchises need it the most.
The New England Patriots have a lot on the ball as they prepare to face the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium this Sunday in the divisional round of the playoffs (3 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), but there are potential and obvious issues when it comes to countering Houston’s formidable pass rush. To that end, sixth offensive lineman Thayer Munford Jr. could be a big help.
Here’s some next-level analysis you won’t get anywhere else, folks:
The Houston Texans’ defense is absolutely terrifying.
Okay, maybe that’s not next-level, but when you dig into the particulars, it’s even scarier. The Texans rank second in Defensive DVOA behind only the Seattle Seahawks, and head coach DeMeco Ryans’ crew has been this good with less eye candy than another defense has used. The Texans have blitzed on just 18.9% of their snaps this season (fifth-lowest in the NFL), but their 47 sacks is tied for sixth-best, and when you have Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. on the edges, and Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai as your primary inside guys, who needs all that blitzing crap?
And at a time when most defenses are using as many safety switches as possible to confuse quarterbacks, Houston has done so on just 21.4% of their snaps. It’s the same principle — when you have the NFL’s best cornerback in Derek Stingley Jr., the NFL’s best cornerback nobody talks about in Kamari Lassiter, the NFL’s best deep-third safety in Calen Bullock, and one of the NFL’s best box/slot defenders in Jalen Pitre, you don’t need a ton of schematic frosting.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is a worthy NFL Most Valuable Player candidate because he’s been great against every schematic sleight of hand this season, but when you’re facing a defense where “His’n is better than your’n,” (to paraphrase something Bum Phillips once said of Don Shula), that’s another matter. The Patriots will need to do everything possible to at least manage that his’n/your’n disparity.
Key among the concerns is New England’s tackle situation. First-round pick Will Campbell and 2025 free agent signing Morgan Moses have been decent in pass protection on the left and right sides, respectively, but nobody in their right minds expects Campbell and Moses to stone Hunter and Anderson. Moreover, New England’s interior offensive line will have its hands full with Rankins, Togiai, the rest of that IDL rotation, and Houston’s underrated linebackers.
When you’re facing an opponent that can just dominate you like this, and doesn’t need to trick you do to it, maybe the best answer is to get more beef on the field. And that’s where Thayer Munford...
