18 stats to know for Sunday’s Texans-Patriots divisional spherical matchup

The Patriots’ offense towards the Texans’ protection will likely be an actual energy towards energy battle.

Drake Maye should beat a Texans protection that is arguably the league’s finest to assist the Patriots attain the AFC Championship Sport. (AP Picture/Greg M. Cooper)

By Conor Roche

January 17, 2026 | 4:48 PM

4 minutes to learn

The six-day-long anticipate Sunday’s Texas-Patriots divisional spherical is sort of over, and now we have a good suggestion who will and received’t be obtainable.

Houston will likely be with out star extensive receiver Nico Collins as he stays in concussion protocol, whereas New England may have its star cornerback as Christian Gonzalez, who cleared concussion protocol on Friday.

We all know that the Texans have one of many league’s high defenses, main the league in yards allowed and rating second in scoring protection. We additionally know that Drake Maye was one of many high quarterbacks in all of soccer this season, rating among the many finest within the league in a number of passing stats to assist earn himself MVP consideration.

So, let’s take a deeper dive into the stats that may paint an image of how Sunday’s recreation will go. Listed below are 18 stats to know forward of Texans-Patriots.

110.2: The Texans run a good bit of zone protection, rating 14th in zone frequency. However Drake Maye was one of many recreation’s high quarterbacks towards zone protection this 12 months, along with his 110.2 passer score towards zone protection rating as the highest quantity within the league, per Subsequent Gen Stats.
47.5: There’s a purpose why Houston is snug operating zone protection. Opposing quarterbacks logged only a 47.5 passer score after they threw in cornerback Derek Stingley’s course in zone protection, per Professional Soccer Focus. That’s the third-best mark amongst corners who logged a minimum of 100 protection snaps in zone protection this 12 months.
58.9: Fellow Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter didn’t rank too far behind Stingley in that very same stat. Opposing quarterbacks logged a 58.9 passer score when focusing on Lassiter in zone protection, per PFF. That’s the Eleventh-best mark within the league (min. 100 protection snaps in zone protection).
4: There are 4 gamers that Maye has a passer score of a minimum of 120 when throwing to in zone protection: Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Hunter Henry, and Kyle Williams.
153: Texans edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter have mixed for probably the most pressures of any duo this season with 153, per Subsequent Gen Stats.
11.5: Patriots left deal with Will Campbell had some struggles in his first playoff begin final week, giving up 5 pressures and a sack towards the Chargers, per Professional Soccer Focus. It received’t get simpler, and his 11.5 p.c strain charge allowed is the eighth-worst mark amongst left tackles (min. 200 snaps), per Subsequent Subsequent Stats.
1: The appropriate facet of the Patriots’ offensive line is a little more sturdy, although. Proper deal with Morgan Moses was arguably among the many finest at his place this season. He’s one in every of eight offensive tackles to have allowed one sack or fewer among the many 61 offensive tackles who logged a minimum of 366 pass-block snaps this season, per Professional Soccer Focus.
37.7: Nonetheless, the Patriots had one of many worst strain charges allowed within the NFL this season. Their 37.7 strain charge is the ninth-worst mark within the league, per Sharp Soccer Evaluation.
42.2: The Texans’ 42.2 strain charge is the second-best mark within the league. Not solely are the Texans the group with the most effective strain charge that the Patriots will face this season, however they’re additionally the second group that ranks within the high 10 in strain charge that New England has confronted this season. The opposite was the Browns, who logged six sacks towards the Patriots in Week 8.
9.2: If the Texans are in a position to strain Maye, there’s one space that the Patriots can reap the benefits of. Houston’s second-to-last within the league on yards allowed per scramble this 12 months, at 9.2 yards allowed per keep on scrambles.
4.0: The Texans’ 4 yards allowed per carry is the seventh-best mark within the league this season. The Patriots are thirteenth in dashing yards per carry (4.3).
83.9: A lot has been made about extensive receiver Nico Collins lacking Sunday’s recreation, however C.J. Stroud hasn’t been terrific in outside video games in his profession, even when he’s had his star extensive receiver. He has an 83.9 passer score over his 15 profession video games in outside stadiums. He’s logged a passer score over 100 in simply 4 of these video games.
100: Woody Marks’s 112-yard dashing efficiency towards the Steelers final week was the primary time this season that the Texans have a 100-yard rusher in a recreation. Houston ranks twenty ninth in yards per carry (3.9) this season.
4.03: The Patriots have allowed simply 4.03 yards per carry this season within the 14 video games linebacker Robert Spillane has performed on this season. That may be tied for the eighth-best mark within the league over the course of the season. Additionally they haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher within the 14 video games Spillane’s performed this season.
15: The Texans have been fairly good at defending Stroud since Trent Brown took over at proper deal with this season. They’ve given up simply 15 snaps within the eight video games Brown’s performed at proper deal with this season. They’ve additionally allowed simply 15 sacks of their final 10 video games, with Brown lacking two video games on the finish of the common season. The 1.5 sacks allowed per recreation could be tied for the fourth-best mark within the league.
13: The Patriots have 10 sacks of their final two video games, making the most of a pair of weak offensive traces within the Dolphins and Chargers. They logged simply 13 sacks within the 9 video games previous to that. The 1.4 sacks per recreation the Patriots averaged over that nine-game stretch would’ve been the second-worst mark this season.
971: With Collins out, tight finish Dalton Schultz turns into C.J. Stroud’s high goal for Sunday’s recreation. The Patriots allowed 971 receiving yards to opposing tight ends this season, which was the Eleventh-highest mark within the league.
40: Jayden Higgins is the one different Texans extensive receiver with a minimum of 40 receptions this 12 months outdoors of Collins. Higgins logged 41 receptions within the common season, so who Stroud throws to outdoors of Schultz is anybody’s guess.