The New England Patriots are moving into the AFC Divisional Round with plenty of momentum after a tough 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. In that game, the Patriots relied heavily on their defense to control the rhythm, and rookie quarterback Drake Maye will likely need to follow that same blueprint this Sunday against the Houston Texans. With a spot in the AFC Championship on the line, the team’s ability to stay ‘disciplined’ and ‘patient’ will be the deciding factor in whether they can move one step closer to the Super Bowl.

Ahead of this high-stakes matchup, Patriots former players Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman offered some crucial advice for Maye to keep in mind. The Texans are expected to be the toughest challenge New England has faced all year, especially following a dominant performance last week, where their defense recorded six sacks and 11 quarterback hits, while the Texans had 12 QB hits. Because both teams possess such powerful defensive units, the former players believe that Maye and his team may struggle to find opportunities for huge, game-changing plays.

“Patience, because you’re going to have to take what the defense is going to give you. This is going to be a game, the short first and second down, Julian. They’ve got to just get a couple of chump yardages at a time. It’s not like they’re going to have big plays, 20-yard throws down the field. That’s not going to happen,” said Rob.

He further added, “They’ve got to be patient and just take what’s given to them. A little dump off to the running back, you know, that flares out because everyone’s covered down the field. Get three yards at a time, as you said, make it very manageable on third down so these defense events cannot tee off.”

Well, if we just evaluate the Texans’ defense from their last game with the Steelers, we will be able to notice that the team strongly dominated the Steelers on the field. Houston held their AFC Wild Card opponent to a mere 175 yards of total offense and only six points, both coming from field goals. This was a rare feat, marking only the second time all season that Pittsburgh failed to reach double digits in points or 180 yards of offense in a single game.

This suffocating unit is now set to be the toughest test yet for quarterback Drake Maye and head coach Mike Vrabel. While the Patriots’ offense features explosive playmakers like the running back duo of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, steady tight end Hunter Henry, and a talented receiving group including Kyle Williams, Kayshon Boutte, and former Texan Stefon Diggs. Adding to the discussion, Julian Edelman said,

“You’ve got to play disciplined football. You’ve got to be able to kick the ball after every offensive drive. That means taking care of the football. You have to understand that your defense is pretty good, too, against an offense that’s not very good. If they take care of the football, I think they stack up better against that defense because you know the Patriots defense is going to give Houston some trouble.” He further added, 

“Disciplined on offense, kicking the ball after every offensive possession, whether it’s a punt, playing field position game, or whether it’s a field goal. We can’t have any interceptions, no fumbles. Drake May cannot have the game he had last week.” Edelman provided key ways on how the Patriots can turn the results in their favor.

The Patriots are up against the Texans, who feature the 13th-best scoring offense in the NFL, placing them in the top half of the league. A major reason for their success was how carefully they played; they were excellent at “protecting the ball” and finished the regular season with the second-fewest turnovers in the entire league. This means they rarely gave the ball away through fumbles or interceptions, forcing their opponents to earn every point they got.

The Patriots really need to be careful and avoid making any mistakes against them.

Drake Maye has his work cut out for him before facing the Texans

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is fully aware of the massive challenge ahead as his team prepares to face the Houston Texans‘ defense in the upcoming AFC Divisional Round. Maye highlighted that the Texans’ unit is known for its speed and relentless physical style, particularly among the linebackers.

Discussing the upcoming game, he noted that these players are known for hitting hard and punishing ball carriers, emphasizing that he has great respect for how they play the game.

“Those guys, especially at the linebacker level, they try to take your head off. And I respect them for it. They tackle the ball carrier hard, and they’ll punish them, and they’ll make you pay for it,” Maye told reporters.

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The Texans’ defense established itself as one of the best in the NFL during the regular season, finishing with 47 total sacks. Their ability to limit scoring was equally impressive, as they ranked second in the league by allowing opponents an average of only 16.5 points per game. This stingy approach makes it very difficult for opposing offenses to find rhythm or create positive plays.

In addition to their pass rush and scoring defense, the Texans are elite at stopping the run. Opposing teams averaged just 92.0 rushing yards per game against them, which was the fourth-best mark in the league. This defensive dominance means that Maye and the Patriots’ offense will have to be extremely disciplined and careful with the football to find success.

Protecting the ball and making quick, smart decisions will be the top priorities for Maye in this matchup. Because the Texans swarm the ball and look to flip the field on every play, any mistake could be costly. The young quarterback understands the assignment before the team faces one of the NFL’s most physical defenses.