SCOUTING THE MATCHUPS

When the Patriots run – Edge: Patriots

The one thing the Patriots have been consistently able to do this season is run the football. Both Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson have been productive when given the opportunity to establish the ground game. Both were effective in the Week 5 loss to Miami, averaging 7.4 and 8.7 yards per carry, respectively. Houston, meanwhile, struggles to stop the run, allowing an average of 120.2 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry. Those totals have the Texans ranked 17th and 25th in the league in those categories. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt figures to try to exploit that weakness with a steady diet of his two top backs. The Texans have the personnel to be better stopping the run than they’ve shown. Defensive coordinator Matt Burke uses a steady rotation at defensive tackle that includes Mario Edwards, Folorunso Fatukasi, Tim Settle and Khalil Davis playing in front of linebackers Henry To’oTo’o and Azeez Al-Shaair. That group will be focused on containing a Patriots ground attack that at times shredded the Dolphins to the tune of nearly 8 yards per carry. The Patriots will likely look to focus on getting more than 19 carries against the high-powered Texans.

When the Patriots pass – Edge: Texans

This area, on the other hand, has been non-existent for the Patriots all season. So much so that the calls to start rookie Drake Maye at quarterback intensified and the move to the rookie was made. Jacoby Brissett failed to find any semblance of rhythm as a passer, and although that wasn’t entirely his fault, he hasn’t done much to improve things. The Patriots rank dead last in the league in passing, averaging a paltry 119.4 yards per game through the air. Brissett completed just 58.5 percent of his passes despite rarely looking to push the ball downfield and had only two touchdowns in five starts. Pass protection has been the main issue and Brissett was once again hounded against a banged-up Dolphins defense that was missing its top two pass rushers. The Patriots made some adjustments up front with Mike Onwenu moving inside to guard and Vederian Lowe returning from injury to man the left tackle spot. It’s possible some continuity among the group could lead to some improvement in the coming weeks. The protection will need to be better if Maye is to find DeMario Douglas, Ja’Lynn Polk and Kendrick Bourne, who returned from PUP to make his debut against Miami. The Texans have quality edge rushers in Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter so that won’t be an easy task.

When the Texans run – Edge: Patriots

Houston’s ground game has been limited, mostly due to the absence of lead back Joe Mixon. Mixon had a strong debut for the Texans before going down with an ankle injury in Week 2 that caused him to miss Houston’s last three games. He had been averaging 4.7 yards per carry prior to the injury, so his potential availability could be a huge lift to Houston’s running game. Without him, veteran Cam Akers assumed the lead back role and the production hasn’t been there. The Texans average 104.2 yards per game on the ground and barely 4 yards per carry, numbers that rank 23rd and 24th in the league, respectively. The Patriots rank 13th stopping the run, allowing 118 yards per game, but are coming off a tough outing in that department against Miami. Despite operating with their fourth-string quarterback, the Dolphins racked up 193 yards on the ground and averaged 4.7 yards on a whopping 41 carries. The Patriots will need to improve those numbers, especially if Mixon returns to the lineup. Davon Godchaux remain stout in the middle but without Ja’Whaun Bentley behind him the run defense has sagged in recent weeks. Keeping the Texans one-dimensional will be key.

When the Texans pass – Edge: Texans

Eliminating the run to keep the Texans one-dimensional may not be enough because Houston’s passing attack is as dangerous as any in the league. Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud is not suffering from a sophomore slump and leads the league’s top-ranked passing game, averaging 272.4 yards per game through the air. Stroud completes 69 percent of his passes and has thrown for 1,385 yards and seven touchdowns through the first five weeks. He also has a talented group of receivers to work with including former Bill Stefon Diggs (31 catches, 315 yards, 2 TDs), Nico Collins (32-567-3) and Tank Dell (13-137-0). Collins left last week’s win over the Bills with a hamstring injury suffered on his 67-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter, and he’s considered week-to-week. Even without the top threat, the Texans are dangerous. Veteran Robert Woods and tight end Dalton Schultz are viable options, as are the running backs. But it all starts with Stroud, who has been impressive despite dealing with considerable pressure at times. Stroud was sacked 14 times in the first five weeks, so the Patriots might be able to get some heat on him to slow things down. Christian Gonzalez is coming off his best game of the season and should see plenty of Diggs, especially with Collins potentially out. Look for the Patriots to continue to mix in plenty of zone looks as well. This will be a tall order.

Special Teams – Edge: Patriots

Despite the early-season struggles, the Patriots special teams have managed to turn in a few quality plays in most games. Against the Dolphins those included a blocked punt by Brenden Schooler and another strong day by punter Bryce Baringer. Unfortunately, there were also some missteps, such as Joey Slye’s missed 33-yard field goal and allowing Braxton Berrios to scoot down the sideline for a 12-yard return late in the first half to set up Miami with good field position. Baringer has been one of the team’s overall bright spots, averaging 51.7 yards per punt with a 44.2-yard net. Houston is solid in the kicking game as well with Ka’imi Fairbairn off to a torrid start on field goals. Fairbairn has made 11 of 12 on the season but more impressively is 8-for-9 from beyond 50 yards including last week’s 59-yarder at the buzzer to give the Texans a win over the Bills. Punter Tommy Townsend does a good job of pinning opponents with just one touchback against 10 downed inside the 20. Woods handles both kicks and punts for the Texans with a 36-yard punt return to his credit. Steven Sims also handles both but was inactive for the Bills game. Marcus Jones has yet to break free on punts for the Patriots, but he’s always a threat to do so.