ClutchPoints
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.
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...
