New England Patriots - NESN.com
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel knows the offensive line will have their hands full against Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.
The Houston Texans are led by defense, especially their defensive line, with Anderson and Hunter. The two are dominant, stopping the run and getting after the quarterback, so Vrabel knows limiting their impact is key for the Patriots.
“I don’t think it’s just one move,” Vrabel said on Wednesday. “I think there’s talent, length and effort. If they get blocked, they don’t stay blocked long.
“Can power – different moves on the edge. So, they play hard against the run. It’s not just if you run the ball that they’re taking plays off. So, two really good bookends.”
With Anderson and Hunter’s success, teams often face third-and-long against the Texans, which Vrabel is hopeful the Patriots can stay out of. But, if they are in those spots, he has faith in Drake Maye and the offense to get out of it.
“Well, we never want to sit there and be in third-and-12,” Vrabel added. “We were third-and-15 last week. We picked it up. Chargers were ranked the same as the Texans and we’re going to go play the game. That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to play the game.
“We’re going to enjoy it just like we did last week. And again, you have too many of those, I think it’s probably a bad thing. But if we find ourselves in those situations, then we’ll have to just get ourselves out of them.”
The Patriots are three-point favorites at home against the Texans.
