Hey guys it’s Ari Alexander with the Texans, who are on the road this week taking on one of the less talented teams in the NFL - the Belichick-less New England Patriots.
WHAT’S UP WITH THE PATRIOTS?
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Ever since Tom Brady left before the 2020 season, things have been dicey. Bill Belichick’s Pats only made the playoffs once in his final four years as a head coach, after only missing them twice in a span of 20 years (one of those seasons - Brady got hurt and Matt Cassel played QB and they were still 11-5). Belichick left the team after last season’s 4-13 disaster, and former Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo took over.
This season isn’t much different from last year. The Patriots are bad, and they can’t score. For the first time, they will show off their #3 overall pick rookie QB Drake Maye, who the Patriots drafted after the Mac Jones experiment failed. Maye was a superstar at North Carolina, but he’s playing behind a terrible offensive line against a team who leads the league in pressures.
Also, Rhamondre Stevenson, the Patriots running back/only explosive offensive weapon is out with an injury. Antonio Gibson will get a ton of carries and likely targets out of the backfield.
Ja’Lynn Polk, a rookie out of Washington has shown flashes of becoming a good NFL receiver, but without good QB play it’s been difficult for him to break out.
Jacoby Brissett has been a solid veteran bridge, but now it’s the Drake Maye show.
WHAT DO THE TEXANS DO WITHOUT NICO?
The NFL’s leading receiver is right here in Houston. Unfortunately, that receiver, Nico Collins pulled his hamstring catching a 67 yard touchdown pass. Collins is on the IR, he’s out 4 weeks, and the Texans will have to rely on their depth. That depth includes a former All-Pro in Stefon Diggs, and one of last year’s breakout rookies Tank Dell. Xavier Hutchinson will be called to play a ton of snaps in Collins’ absence, and tight end Dalton Schultz and running back Joe Mixon should get peppered with targets.
That’s right, Mixon is likely back in the mix Sunday after getting in two limited practices during the week. He’s listed as questionable, but league sources have told KPRC 2 Texans Insider Aaron Wilson that Mixon is likely to play Sunday. With Mixon, the Texans can play the complimentary football they want to play, mixing pass, run and play action.
Nico’s not the only high-profile player missing this game - starting cornerback Kamari Lassiter is out, as is starting safety Jimmie Ward. Barring a stunningly incredibly performance from the rookie QB in his first start, this is an ideal week for the Texans to be banged up in the secondary given the ineptitude of the Patriots offense.
They’ve scored 16, 20, 3, 13 and 10 points in their 5 games this year. They are not good on offense.
What you need to know: Texans’ Joe Mixon practices again, expected to play Sunday, Kamari Lassiter, Jimmie Ward out this week
WHAT’S NEXT
A cold and potentially rainy Foxborough will host the Texans Sunday at noon. If Houston can win and get to 5-1, it would be the 2nd time in franchise history they’ve had such a strong start (2012).
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