How can Drake Maye beat the Texans’ elite protection?
New England Patriots
“I really feel like he makes performs together with his legs. I really feel like he’s comfy utilizing his legs.”
FOXBOROUGH — Drake Maye and the Patriots offense can have their work lower out for them on Sunday afternoon.
Regardless of the second-year quarterback’s rise as an elite playmaking menace in 2025, Maye’s capacity to evade strain and transfer the ball down the sector with ruthless effectivity figures to be countered by an elite Texans protection within the divisional spherical of the playoffs.
Houston’s protection has grounded nearly each high-flying offense matched up in opposition to them this season — holding opponents to only 277.2 yards per recreation.
Even star quarterbacks like Josh Allen (eight sacks vs. Houston on Nov. 20) have had little room to breathe when Houston’s heat-seeking missiles like Will Anderson (12 sacks) and Danielle Hunter (15 sacks) dial up the strain.
Be it that potent move rush (47 sacks), fleet-footed linebacker corps that swarm to the ball, or a bodily secondary anchored by Derek Stingley Jr., the Texans will current loads of complications for Maye, Josh McDaniels, and the remainder of New England’s offense personnel this weekend in Foxborough.
“They fly round. They’re relentless,” Maye mentioned Wednesday. “They’re nice up entrance, and nice on the again finish. They’ve obtained nice linebackers. They’re nice throughout. They’ve nice teaching. So we’ve obtained our palms full, and we all know it’s going to be a troublesome recreation.”
The Houston Texans’ protection doesn’t precisely dial up blitzes or make the most of disguised protection to confound QBs and pressure turnovers.
Relatively, it’s an easy scheme that primarily sticks to zone protection (Cowl 3 and Cowl 4), and has the luxurious of letting Anderson, Hunter, and remainder of their line of defense free after the quarterback to generate greater than sufficient strain.
Very like batters bracing for Mariano Rivera’s lower fastball, opponents already know what’s coming after they’re matched up in opposition to the Texans’ elite protection.
The problem, in fact, is definitely beating it.
“They fly round. They’re relentless,” Maye mentioned. “They’re nice up entrance, and nice on the again finish. They’ve obtained nice linebackers. They’re nice throughout. They’ve nice teaching. So we’ve obtained our palms full, and we all know it’s going to be a troublesome recreation.”
But when there’s one potential weak spot on Houston’s roster, it revolves round their struggles with bottling up quarterbacks who can achieve yardage on the bottom.
As famous by Phil Perry of NBC Sports activities Boston, the Texans have relinquished the fourth-highest EPA per keep on quarterback runs — not counting QB sneaks or kneels — and the ninth-most yards per try (7.8) since Week 13 of the common season.
That ought to be a focus for McDaniels and New England’s offensive coaches, who might make the most of Maye’s scrambling capacity to persistently transfer the chains in opposition to Houston’s suffocating protection.
It’s a sentiment shared by Patriots vast receiver Stefon Diggs, who inspired Maye to run the ball extra throughout a latest mic’d-up clip launched by the staff after their wild-card recreation victory over the Chargers.
“He’s a hell of an athlete,” Diggs mentioned of Maye. “I really feel like he makes performs together with his legs. I really feel like he’s comfy utilizing his legs. No matter it takes to assist the quarterback settle in, too. You by no means know. Utilizing your legs [could] make him loosen another issues up. Being a receiver, you by no means know. It might probably take the nook’s eyes off you.”
Not like final week, the place New England might need shirked away from uncorking deep throws down the sector in opposition to Los Angeles’ move protection, Maye ought to have just a few alternatives to uncork some heaves down the sector as long as he can lengthen performs together with his legs.
Houston has allowed 47 passes of 20-plus yards on the season, whereas their 5.6 p.c explosive-play charge allowed (per Sharp Soccer) is comparatively pedestrian — with 15 different NFL golf equipment posting a decrease share.
Nonetheless, anticipate most of Sunday’s recreation to be a rock battle as Maye and the Patriots attempt to land not less than a punch or two in opposition to Houston’s formidable protection.
Maye is perhaps working at his greatest when he’s hitting targets like Kayshon Boutte or Diggs deep down the sector.
However after gaining 66 yards on the bottom in opposition to the Chargers, Maye has the means to not less than exploit one of many few weaknesses on this Texans protection.
“No matter it takes for us to win the sport,” Diggs mentioned of how New England’s offense can get the higher of Houston. “I don’t care the way it comes out. We’re within the [playoffs]. I’m going to throw as many blocks as I can. I’m going to inform [Maye] that his subsequent play is his greatest play.
“He’s a hell of a participant. I simply wish to see him proceed to develop. I’m simply making an attempt to be an echo of some constructive vitality. If utilizing his legs is what’s wanted, then flip into Michael Vick. I’m with no matter.”
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