MORSE: Patriots vs Houston – Preview of Texans Team
Houston Texans Playoff Preview: Roster Breakdown, Key Matchups, and Former Patriots Ties
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The Patriots host the Texans in the Playoffs at home. The Patriots opened at 3-point favorites and the early money came down on Houston which dropped it to 2.5-point favorites. Basically, this is a pick-em game with the home team generally given 3pts.
You can call the Texans Patriots South since they have so many former executives, coaches and players. The GM is Nick Caserio, the Offensive Coordinator is Nick Caley, Special Teams Frank Ross, OL Cole Popovich, Defensive Pass Coordinator Cory Undlin and Sr, Offensive Assistant Jerry Schupulski. The players include OT Trent Brown, C Jake Andrews, DB Myles Bryant and WR Braxton Barrios.
On offense the Texans rank 19th in Overall Offense at 312.7 Yards Per Game ranked 18th. Passing they accumulate 218.4 yards a game which ranks 14th. They will probably be without their top receiver Nico Collins who is in Concussion Protocol after being carted off in the Monday Night game and having a short week of practice to recover from that play. Scoring they have 23.8 Points Per game which ranks 22nd, in the Red Zone they are at 46.3% which is a low 30th rank. On 3d down they are successful at 37.2 % which is a low 23 rank.
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| QB | C.J. Stroud | Davis Mills | Graham Mertz | – |
| RB | Woody Marks | Jawhar Jordan Q | Nick Chubb | Dare Ogunbowale |
| WR | Nico Collins Q | Xavier Hutchinson | Braxton Berrios | |
| WR | Jayden Higgins | Jaylin Noel | Tank Dell O | |
| WR | Christian Kirk | Justin Watson Q | ||
| TE | Dalton Schultz | Cade Stover | Harrison Bryant | Brevin Jordan IR |
| LT | Aireontae Ersery | Trent Brown | Blake Fisher | Jarrett Kingston |
| LG | Tytus Howard | Jarrett Patterson | Juice Scruggs | |
| C | Jake Andrews | Jarrett Patterson | – | |
| RG | Ed Ingram | Tytus Howard | ||
| RT | Trent Brown Q | Tytus Howard | Blake Fisher |
CJ Stroud is their QB, and he had a horrible game against the Steelers on Monday Night. In the game, he had an Interception and 5 fumbles, of which the Texans recovered 3. This from Pro Football Network: “Year 3 of C.J. Stroud’s NFL career looked a lot more like his second year with the Texans than his first. That’s perfectly acceptable, as he still ended the year with a respectable 217.2 passing yards per game and an improved 92.9 passer rating from the season before. Ranging from slightly above average to slightly below average in most of PFSN’s analytical categories, though, the jury is still out on whether he can become elite in this league.” They have him ranked 19th amongst the league’s QBs.
Stroud only fumbled twice during this season before the Steelers’ game, but has 16 over his three-year career. For the season, he completed 273 passes on 423 attempts for 64.5% and 3,041 yards, 19 TDs against 8 Interceptions. Against the Steeler,s he completed 21 of 32 passes, 65.6%. 250 yards a TD and an INT. The big number was the fumbles.
At running back, rookie Woody Marks has emerged as the go-to back. In the Steelers’ victory, Marks ran for 112 yards on 19 carries for a 5.9 YPC and a TD. Marks, coming out of college, was known as a tremendous receiver out of the backfield, but curiously, he didn’t have a target in the Steelers game. On the season, he had 196 carries for 703 yards, 3.6 YPC, 2 TDs, and a Fumble.
Backup Nick Chubb is no slouch either. Entering his 8th season in the league, the 30-year-old, former Cleveland Brown, had 4 straight 1,000-yard seasons before a devastating knee injury in 2023. He hasn’t been the same since. For the season he has 122 carries for 506 yards a 4.1 YPC with 3 TDs and 0 Fumbles. In the passing game, Chubb was only targeted 20 times with 13 catches for 67 yards, 5.2 YPC, and 0 TDs. Last week versus Pittsburgh, Chubb carried the ball 10 times for 48 yards, 4.8 YPC, and 0 TDs. He wasn’t targeted with any pass attempts.
The Wider Receivers were devastated by Nico Collins’ concussion. It was late in the game and didn’t impact the final score. With the short week for the Texans, it’s highly unlikely he will play Sunday. On the season, he had 71 catches on 120 targets for 1117 yards, 15.7 YPC, and 6 TDs. In the Pittsburgh game, he had 3 receptions on 7 targets for 21 yards, 3.0 YPC, and 0 TDs.
His replacement will likely be Xavier Hutchinson, the 6’2”, 210-pound receiver out of Iowa State. He was selected in the 2023 6th round (205th). For the season, he had 35 catches on 57 targets for 428 yards, 12.2 YPC, and 3 TDs. In the Pittsburgh game, he had 2 catches on 4 targets for 21 yards, 10.5 YPC, and 0 TDs.
Christian Kirk has stood up big for the Texans and is the receiver Christian Gonzalez should be assigned to. For the season, Kirk has 28 catches on 52 targets for 239 yards, 8.5 YPC, and a TD. However, in the Pittsburgh game, he was Stroud’s most trusted receiver with 8 catches on 9 targets for 144 yards, 18.0 YPC, and a TD.
Two more rookies from Iowa State, Jayden Higgins and Jaylen Noel, round out the receiving corps. Higgins is a big target at 6’4”, 214-pound receiver. He was selected in the 2nd round (34) of this year’s draft. On the season, he had 41 catches on 68 targets for 525 yards, 12.8 YPC, and 6 TDs. Against the Steelers, he had 3 catches on 4 Targets, for 39 yards, 13.0 YPC, and 0 TDs.
Teammate Jaylen Noel is the 5’10” 201-pound speedster who ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine. He also had a 6.82 Three Cone Drill, which shows incredible quickness. Noel was selected as the Big 10 All-Conference Return Specialist. For the season, he had 26 catches on 35 Targets, for 292 yards, 11.2 YPC, and 2 TDs. He wasn’t targeted in the Steelers game. Braxton Berrios, a former Patriots draft pick, is a good return man. However, he was listed as inactive for Sunday night’s playoff game versus the Steelers. He should be active for the Patriots game, taking the roster spot that Collins occupied.
Dalton Schultz is a very good Tight End. The 6’5”, 242-pound TE from Stanford was drafted by Dallas in the 2018 Draft, 4th round (137). This season, he had 82 catches for 777 yards, 9.5 YPC, and 3 TDs. Against the Steelers, he had 4 catches on 4 targets for 73 yards, 18.3 YPC without a TD. His backup is Cade Stove,r a highly regarded 6’4”, 251-pound TE from Ohio State. He was selected by the Texans in the 2024 Draft 4th Round (123). For the season, he had 12 catches on 16 Targets for 76 yards, 6.3 YPC, and no TDs. Against Pittsburgh, he had 1 catch on 2 targets for 9 yards and no TDs.
Rookie Left Tackle Aireontae Ersery has struggled. The huge 6’6”, 330-pound Tackle played at Minnesota and was drafted this year in the 2nd round (48). His PFF grade for the season is 58.9, which was 68 of 89 OTs. His grade against the Steelers dipped to 47.1. I think he will need help trying to handle K’Lavon Chaisson. At Left Guard is Tytus Howard, a 6’5”, 322=pound Guard. He played at Alabama State, and despite playing at a small school, he was selected in the 2019 draft, 1st Round (23) by Houston. For the season, he had a 62.7 PFF grade, good for 58th of 89 Guards. Howard struggled against Pittsburgh and had a 44.3 PFF grade. Can you say Field Day for Barmore and Williams?
Former Patriot draft pick Jake Andrews is the starting Center. The 6’3” 308-pound Guard out of Troy was a 4th round (108) selection by the Patriots. In his rookie season, he was placed on IR on August 5th with a torn meniscus. That is usually a 3-4 week injur,y and the team placed him on IR for the season. He was given a “Red Shirt” year being on IR. He was a bust, and in the Spring of 2025, the team decided to cut him and cut their losses. I was shocked to see him playing on Monday Night. Barmore and Williams should eat him alive on Sunday. His PFF grade for 2025 was 61.6, 26th of 40 Centers. In the playoff game he had a decent 65.6 PFF grade.
Ed Ingram is an excellent Right Guard. The 6’3” 307-pound Guard from LSU was selected in the 2022 Draft 2nd round (59) by Minnesota. His PFF grade for 2025 is 71.5, 18th amongst 81 Guards. His numbers against the Steelers were even better with an overall 87.1 grade. Former Patriots Tackle Trent Brown anchors the Right Tackle position. The enigmatic Brown is massive at 6’8” 370-pounds. He is so big he has his own zip code. Brown has played in only the last 8 games, coincidentally, all Texans victories. His PFF grade for the year is 68.6 good for 4th amongst 89 Tackles. In the Pittsburgh game, he was graded 65.8. He missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday with an Ankle issue. It could be maintenance for a veteran, or there might be a real issue. Let’s see what the Friday Injury report says.
The Texans’ defense is the real deal. This will be the best Defense that Drake Maye and the Patriots have seen all year. They are the Number 1 Defense in the league, giving up only 277.2 Yards Per Game. Passing, they only give up 183.5 Yards Per Game, Rush Defense is 93.7 Yards Per Game, which is # 4. Scoring Defense, they hold opponents to 17.4 Points Per Game, which is #2. In the Red Zone, they hold opponents to 56.8%, which is #16. They hold their opponents on 3rd Down at a 36.2%, which is #6. They have a +17 Turnover differential, which is #2. Something has to give here.
The Texans have been hit hard on Defense with 7 guys on IR and another two that have been ruled out. Luckily, it has been only one of their premium starters.
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| LDE | Danielle Hunter | Denico Autry Q | – | – |
| LDT | Tommy Togiai | Leki Fotu | Folorunso Fatukasi IR | Mario Edwards IR |
| RDT | Sheldon Rankins | Naquan Jones | Kurt Hinish O | Tim Settle Jr. IR |
| RDE | Will Anderson | Derek Barnett | Dylan Horton | |
| WLB | Henry To’oTo’o | Damone Clark | Jake Hansen IR | |
| MLB | Azeez Al-Shaair | Christian Harris | ||
| SLB | E.J. Speed | Jamal Hill | – | – |
| LCB | Derek Stingley Jr. | Tremon Smith | Ajani Carter IR | |
| SS | Calen Bullock | Jimmie Ward O | M.J. Stewart IR | |
| FS | Jaylen Reed | Jalen Pitre | – | |
| RCB | Kamari Lassiter | Ja’Marcus Ingram | Jaylin Smith IR | |
| NB | Jalen Pitre | Myles Bryant | Alijah Huzzie | – |
You won’t find a better pair of bookend edge players than Anderon and Hunter. RDE Will Anderson is the #2 ranked Edge player. The 6’3”, 243-pound End played at Alabama and was the 2023 1st round (3) selection by Houston. For the season his PFF grade is 92.3 2nd amongst 115 Edge players. His numbers are insane. He had 54 Tackles, 13 sacks, 10 QB Hits, and 70 Hurries. In the playoff game against Pittsburgh his PFF grade was 86.8 with 3 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 QB Hit, and 3 Hurries.
Anderson will be matched up against Will Campbell. This is not the 1st time the two will play against each other. They matched up when Campbell was an 18-year-old Freshman and he held his own. This is a fascinating matchup and one of the keys to the game.
On the other end is Danielle Hunter. The 6’5”. 263-pound End played at LSU and was drafted in 2015 in the 3rd Round (34) by Minnesota. His PFF grade this season was 89.3, which was 5th amongst 115 Edge players. In the Pittsburgh game, he had a 90.5 PFF grade. On the season, he had 54 Tackles, 16 sacks, 8 QB Hits, and 59 Hurries. Against the Steelers, he had 1 tackle, 1 sack, 1 QB Hit, and 4 Hurries. The LDT is Tommy Togiai. The 6’2” 296-pound DT from Ohio State was selected in the 2021 Draft, 4th round (131) by Cleveland. His 74.2 PFF grade during the regular season ranks 15th of 134 DTs. Against Pittsburgh, he had a bad game, and that was reflected in a PFF grade of 58.3. On the season, he had 59 Tackles, 3 sacks, 20 QB Hits, and 3 Hurries. In the Steelers game, he was credited with 5 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 0 QB Hits, and 2 Hurries.
Sheldon Rankins is the other DT. The 6’2”, 205-pound DT played at Louisville and was taken in the 2016 Draft 1st round (12) by New Orleans. His PFF grade in the regular season is 73.2, 19th amongst 134 DTs. Against Pittsburgh, he had a 67.1 Grade. For the regular season, he had 35 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 5 QB Hits, and 30 Hurries. In the Steelers game, he had 2 tackles, 2 Sacks, 1 QB Hit, and 0 Hurries.
The Linebackers are led by Azeez Al-Shaair. The 6’2,” 228-pound LB played at Florida Atlantic and went Undrafted in 2019. His PFF grade is 70.9, 27th of 88 Linebackers. For the Pittsburgh game, he received an 84.1 grade from PFF. On the season, he had 103 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 2 QB Hits, 5 Hurries, and 2 INT. Against the Steelers, he had 6 Tackles with 0 Sacks, QB Hits, and Hurries.
Henry To’o’To’o is a 6’1” 228-pound Linebacker from Alabama and was selected in the 2023 Draft, 5th Round (169). His PFF grade for the season is 62.4, 40th of 88. Against Pittsburgh, he received a 58.1 grade. On the season, he had 95 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 2 QB Hits, and 10 Hurries. In the Steelers game, he had 7 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 1 QB Hit, and 0 Hurries.
The other outside linebacker is EJ Speed. The 6’3” 227-pound Linebacker played at Tarleton State and was selected in the 2019 draft, 5th round (164). His PFF grade was 54.7, 63 of 88 Linebackers. For the season, he had 62 Tackles, 0 sacks, 2 QB Hits, and 5 Hurries. Against the Steelers, he had 1 Tackle, 0 Sacks, QB Hits, and Hurries.
The secondary of the Texans is very good, indicated by their 19 Interceptions during the season. They are led by All-Pro Derek Stingley Jr. The 6’, 190-pound DB played at LSU and was drafted in the 2022, 1st round (3). His PFF grade for 2025 was 69, good for 29th of 114 CBs. Against Pittsburgh, he was graded at 63.7. On the season, he had 36 Tackles, 0 Sacks, QB Hits or Hurries, and 4 INTs. In the Steelers game he had 1 Tackle.
Calen Bullock plays the SS position. The 6’3”, 190-pound Safety played at USC and was selected in the 2024 draft, 3rd Round (78). His PFF grade for the season was 69.3, 31st of 98 Safeties. His grade for the Pittsburgh game was 60.9. On the season, he had 64 Tackles, 0 Sacks, QB Hits or Hurries, and 4 INTs. In the Steelers game, he had 3 Tackles and an Interception.
Jaylen Reed at Free Safety may be the weak point. The 6’1”, 212-pound Safety played at Penn State and was selected in the 6th Round (189). His PFF grade is 65.6, but is unranked because he has only played in 3 regular season games and one playoff game. He replaced Jimmie Ward, who is on IR. Reed’s grade for the Pittsburgh game was an abysmal 47.3. On the season, he has 14 Tackles. In the Steelers game, he had 3 Tackles.
Kamari Lassiter plays RCB. The 6’ 180-pound CB from Georgia was drafted in 2024 in the 2nd round (42). His PFF Grade is 75.9, 11th of 114 CBs. Against Pittsburgh, his grade was 75.4. On the season, he had 91 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 1 QB Hit, 2 Hurries, and 4 INTs. In the Steelers gam,e he had 6 Tackles.
Jalen Pitre has been playing at an All-Pro level. The former Safety was moved to Slot Corner, and he has been outstanding. The hard-hitting and sure tackler stands 5’11”, 198-pound NB played at Baylor and was selected in the 2022 Draft 2nd round (37). His PFF grade is 86.5, 2nd of 96 Nickel Backs. Against Pittsburgh, he had a 67.8 Grade. On the season, he had 74 Tackles, 0 Sacks or QB Hits, 10 Hurries, and 4 INTs. In the Steelers game, he had 7 Tackles. Former Patriot Myles Bryant is a backup for the Texans.
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | |
| PK | Ka’imi Fairbairn | ||
| P | Tommy Townsend | ||
| H | Tommy Townsend | ||
| PR | Jaylin Noel | Braxton Berrios | Christian Kirk |
| KR | Tremon Smith | Jaylin Noel | Braxton Berrios |
| LS | Austin Brinkman |
The Texans have very good Special Teams. Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn has the most kicking attempts in the league at 48 and is ranked 8th in FG% at 91.7%. His 4 misses have all been beyond 50 yards. Tommy Townsend is one of the top punters in the league. His 41.6 Net Average is 18th but that may be because he is 23rd in the league with 30 punts inside the 20-yard line.
Jaylin Noel was a tremendous kick returner in college, and he has taken those skills to the Pros. The rookie is 2nd in the league with 31 Punt Returns and ranked 15th with a 10.8 average Per Punt Return. He also handles Kickoffs with a 27.6 Average which is 13th in the league. Tremon Smith is listed as the starter, but he is definitely second on the team. A good pair to have, and you can’t really kick away from either.
This from Patriots.com – The New England Patriots announced that they have signed veteran DE Darrell Taylor to the practice squad and released RB Elijah Mitchell from the practice squad. Taylor spent the regular season with the Houston Texans before being released on Jan. 12.
Taylor, 28, originally entered the NFL as a second-round draft pick by Seattle in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Tennessee. The 6-foot-4, 255-pounder was traded to Chicago in 2024 and then signed with Houston as an unrestricted free agent this past offseason. Taylor has played in 69 regular-season games with 13 starts and has 118 total tackles, 24½ sacks, 5 passes defensed, 8 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. He was limited to just 4 games with Houston this season after spending time on injured reserve.
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