Patriots' Drake Maye Has Plenty Of Respect For Texans Defense

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — For second-team All-Pro backmost Drake Maye, nan New England Patriots’ Divisional Round showdown pinch nan Houston Texans is apt to elicit immoderate feelings of déjà vu.

In Week 13 of nan 2024 NFL play — aft nan Patriots fell to 1–4 amid continued struggles from incumbent starter Jacoby Brissett — Maye was named New England’s starting quarterback. In his first commencement against nan Texans, nan then-rookie completed 20 of 33 passes for 243 yards pinch 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions successful nan 41–21 loss. He besides led nan squad pinch 38 rushing yards.

As nan aged saying goes: “It was conscionable nan commencement of thing special,” for nan Patriots and their newly-anointed franchise quarterback.

Just complete 1 twelvemonth later, Maye is erstwhile again group to return nan section against Houston — this time, successful nan playoffs pinch a spot successful nan AFC Championship Game connected nan line. Though nan 3rd wide action successful 2024’s NFL draught whitethorn person grown exponentially connected nan field, he will undoubtedly beryllium applying nan lessons he has learned successful what will beryllium his astir important NFL commencement to date.

“That feels for illustration 10 years ago,” Maye precocious told reporters astatine Gillette Stadium. “It's been a agelong journey. So, I’ll return immoderate time, probably, to conscionable look backmost and spot what nan journey's been like. We’ll hopefully person a different result from nan game, but decidedly return immoderate clip to admit wherever we've travel and really overmuch activity we still person to do, particularly myself.”

The imaginable of facing a fearsome Texans defense should quickly stifle immoderate of Maye’s lingering nostalgia. Houston’s preventive portion vanished nan regular play classed first successful nan NFL successful full defense (277 yards allowed per game) and 2nd successful scoring defense (17.4 points allowed per game) — while besides ranking 3rd wide pinch 29 full takeaways. Led by an imposing tandem of defenisve tackles — Danielle Hunter (54 full tackles, 12 sacks) and Will Anderson Jr. (54 full tackles, 12 sacks) — nan Texans defense often succeeds successful intimidating opposing offenses earlier they get connected nan section — a constituent not mislaid connected New England’s Pro Bowl quarterback.

“They alert around, they're relentless,” Maye said. "They're awesome up front, they're awesome successful nan backmost end, they’ve sewage awesome linebackers. They're awesome each around. They person awesome coaching. So, we’ve sewage our hands full, and we cognize it's going to beryllium a reliable game.”

Predicated connected area concepts, Houston’s defense possesses capable talent to unreserved nan passer consistently without needing to trust connected nan blitz. Conversely, their protect beforehand creates unit done skillful domination of nan statement of scrimmage, allowing them to support further defenders successful coverage. Should New England find occurrence successful holding nan line, expect Maye and institution to trial nan Texans’ secondary pinch a heavy passing attack. Accordingly, receivers Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte could play notable roles successful New England’s violative schemes, alongside moving backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.  

In short, Maye knows that he must get his teammates progressive early and often, if nan Pats want to person occurrence against Houston.

“We’ve sewage to play nan crippled nan correct way, and we’ve sewage awesome players each around. Man, each nan hype is fulfilling and deserving from what I've seen connected film. So, we’ve sewage to beryllium capable to enactment up of nan chains, and I cognize we’ve sewage a reliable task, but we're going to person our hands full. Play complimentary football, and from there, conscionable effort to find ways to prime up first downs and people immoderate points.”

Drake Maye Recognizes nan Challenges Presented by nan Texans Defense

As for Maye, he put up MVP-caliber numbers, finishing nan twelvemonth having completed 72 percent of his passes for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns. He besides added 450 rushing yards and 4 scores connected nan ground. Unsurprisingly, New England has recovered overmuch of their occurrence connected discourtesy this play by generating explosive plays — utilizing their quarterback’s elite limb spot and exceptional athleticism to their afloat advantage.

Still, Maye must free himself of nan shot early — by either making nan propulsion earlier nan three-step, aliases by scrambling. In doing so, he tin thief to mitigate nan effect of some Anderson and Hunter, who excel successful generating unit against opposing quarterbacks without needing to dial-up blitzes. Though nan conception whitethorn sound easy, Maye is cognizant of nan challenges which laic ahead. Having antecedently faced Texans coach DeMeco Ryans’ defense, nan Pats’ second-year starter will beryllium fresh for immoderate Houston’s defense whitethorn person successful shop for him and his teammates successful this matchup.

“The point astir nan Texans is they are bully astatine what they do,” Maye said. “They're really bully astatine it. They play immoderate man coverage. They play immoderate zone. They’ve sewage eyes connected nan quarterback. They’ve sewage eyes connected creating turnovers. Their guys successful nan backmost extremity are awesome astatine getting their hands connected nan shot and catching it erstwhile there’s personification throwing it. So, they’ve sewage bully players extracurricular …

“I deliberation for us, offensively, conscionable effort to enactment up of nan chains,” he added. “Scheme-wise, conscionable do things that we're bully astatine and effort to find a measurement to strategy thing up if we spot it … but astatine nan aforesaid time, conscionable effort to enactment up of nan chains and cognize what type of crippled it is.”

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