Battle Red Blog
The Day After the Day After…when the raw, immediate emotions from the aftermath of a game diminish into the realm of clarity and the proverbial (or literal) hangover no longer haunts the mind. With that, a review of the Divisional Round Weekend:
Arguably the Worst 2nd Quarter for the Offense this Season: That 2nd Quarter of the Division Round game will haunt everyone associated with the Houston Texans, from the players to coaches to front office and fans. Houston entered that Quarter only trailing 7-3, and it would start so well. They had just recovered a Drake Maye fumble at the NE 27. Six plays later, Houston took a 10-7 lead on a Stroud-to-Kirk 10-Yard TD Pass. Houston even managed to force the Patriots to punt the next drive. Then, it all falls apart. The next play, Stroud, under heavy NE pressure, threw his second INT, a pick-six to Marcus Jones on a horrid throw. The following possession, Houston got the ball out to their 36-yard line, and Stroud had an accurate throw for once to Xaviar Hutchinson, who let the pass deflect off his hands and into the arms of Craig Woodson.
While the defense did not surrender a 1st down on the following drive, Houston did not give them much of a rest, as Stroud missed on 3 straight passes. New England cashed in on the drive with a Maye-to-Diggs 7-yard TD pass. That put New England up 21-10. The next drive, Houston did move the ball into Patriots’ territory, but then Stroud fired his 3rd INT of the quarter on a poorly thrown ball to Hutchinson. That Houston did not allow the Patriots to score on this drive and the next drive is a testament to that defense, but that offense…yuck. In the 2nd Quarter, Houston executed 22 plays for 50 total yards. Stroud went 5 of 14 for 49 yards, 1 TD and 3 INTs. The team rushed 7 times for 1 yard. Houston committed one False Start penalty and had a 20-yard DPI call in their favor. The offense surrendered as many points (7) as the defense (7). Again, that the Patriots were only up 11 at the break must go to the efforts of the Houston D. For a winnable game, this quarter is going to make for a lot of sleepless nights this offseason.
Defensive Domination: If you love defense, then this was your game. 8 total turnovers (5 INTs), 8 total sacks, 15 TFLs, teams a combined 10 for 31 on 3rd downs, a defensive score, 20 passes defended, 13 punts, teams a collective 2 of 5 in the Red Zone and neither team gained more than 250 total yards. This is to say nothing of all the defensive pressures and defensive win rates likely to come out of this game. For the Houston fan, that the defense showed up is no shock. However, much credit must be given to the Patriots’ defenders. For the New England fans, you could be forgiven...
