New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots won ugly for the second straight week, but in the playoffs, all wins are good wins. With a 28-16 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon, the Pats advanced to the AFC Championship Game, where another difficult matchup against the Denver Broncos awaits them.
In a game that featured eight turnovers between the two teams, the Pats largely won this game because they made fewer mistakes than the Texans. And yet, while it wasn’t the team’s best outing, there were still several standout performers. With that in mind, let’s pick out four studs and four duds from this contest, before turning our attention to the Broncos.
Craig Woodson
In his rookie season, Craig Woodson has been one of the most unsung heroes of the team’s defense at safety. Against the Texans, Woodson’s play popped off the screen all day long. Woodson finished with five tackles, three pass deflections, one quarterback hit and a crucial interception of C.J. Stroud that helped New England take control of this game.
Marcus Jones
This game didn’t get off to a great start for Marcus Jones, as he was in coverage of Christian Kirk on Houston’s lone score of the game. He quickly redeemed himself by recording a 26-yard pick-six on the Texans’ ensuing drive that gave the Pats a lead they would not relinquish. Jones also finished with two tackles and two more pass breakups.
Carlton Davis III
The Patriots got a little bit of everything from Carlton Davis III on Sunday. While he committed several penalties along the way, he made up for it with a pair of interceptions, four pass breakups, and four tackles. Davis did leave this game early with a head injury, though, so his status will be worth monitoring over the upcoming week.
Kayshon Boutte
The offense didn’t exactly provide an awe-inspiring performance, but when the team needed a big play, Kayshon Boutte delivered. His 32-yard one-handed touchdown snag gave New England a 12-point cushion that essentially ended this game, given how poorly Houston’s offense was playing. Boutte led the Pats with 75 receiving yards on just three receptions.
Will Campbell
New England scored 28 points, but this was not a banner day for the offense. After struggling against the Los Angeles Chargers last weekend, Will Campbell was thoroughly embarrassed by Will Anderson Jr. on Sunday. Campbell continually allowed pressure on Maye’s blindside, and he was a big reason why Maye put the ball on the ground four times.
Drake Maye
Of course, Maye also needs to have better pocket presence moving forward. Houston’s pass rush created havoc for him as expected, but for most of the day, he did not fare well against it. The final line for Maye isn’t horrific (16/27, 179 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT, 4 CAR, 10 YDS), but he needs to protect the football better if this team wants to advance to the Super Bowl.
Josh McDaniels
Another guy who deserves to shoulder the...
