Yahoo Sports NFL analyst Nate Tice and NFL writer Charles McDonald preview the Divisional Round matchup between the Houston Texans and the New England Patriots. Check out the full conversation on “Football 301” – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Video Transcript
Patriots’ offense, Texans’ defense, I mean, obviously Drake Maye, But that Patriots’ run game again has just gotten better and better in the second half of the year, and I’m safe to say it’s an above-average run game.
I would say an above-average run game now.
Which, plenty, it’s not a true weakness.
Where I can use it as an MVP argument.
Um, but I do think this run game has gotten a lot better for the Pats.
Going against, I mean, just watch the Texans’ defense.
I don’t think I have to list a stat about how good they are on defense.
But a very, very amazing unit that the Texans defense has.
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But what’s catching your eye on this side of the ball?
Chuck?
Um, I’m gonna bring back one of our, Our classic terms, blue-chipped, because I think that’s what’s– Oh!
… About to happen to the Patriots in this game.
You got Drake Maye, okay, that’s a nice start.
Okay, what’s, what, what’s next?
What’s next?
Your tackle and your offensive line offensive line players…
He’s going to get railroaded in this game.
You’re going to get railroaded in this game.
The Texans’ DBs are a lot more talented than your wide receivers.
And you want to start… Like, for the people who…
The people who use the schedule as a criticism for Drake May not winning MVP, I think, is stupid, but to use it as an argument for this team is really not actually that good, I think is very fair.
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Because, over the back half of the season, you’ve got two games against the Jets.
One game against the Dolphins in Week 18, which was a Quinn Ewers game.
Ravens, I’ll give you that.
You lost to the Bills 35 to 31.
Had a game against the Giants there, a game against Tampa Bay.
And then a game against the Bengals.
Like, that is…
If you have an MVP-level quarterback, you should be winning those games.
Which they did.
You know, they went 7-1 in that Stretch, but that’s guppy ball.
Man, this is the big boys.
This is the big league.
Like, okay, you, you.
You had fun last week with the Chargers, and, you know, Their, theirhalf their team is built like that’s, that…
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The picture of SpongeBob, where the guy’s all wrapped up in the wheelchair.
And he can’t move.
Yeah…
He can’t do anything.
And he, and, and he’s scamming.
That’s what that Chargers team is.
These are the big boys on the block.
You’ve got Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, Derek Stingley, and a bunch of guys who are also, Like… Those guys are Hall of Fame-level players.
And then they have Pro Bowl-level players, and then they have regular starters.
Yes.
Good-level players?
Yes… Underneath that.
It’s three levels of good against a team that was picking top five.
Like, less than a year ago.
Um, so, and you’re not knocking it.
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Just the reality.
I’m not knocking it.
It’s just the reality.
It’s just reality.
Yeah, that’s it.
If Drake Maye can pull off this, and, like, actually go hero mode against this defense, when, Like… Again, I’m not saying this as a slight.
I’m saying, I said, like, the top five pick part, to put in perspective of, Like, the Texans, they were at this spot where the Patriots are.
Like, three or four years ago, and when you hit all your development arcs, This is what your defense looks like.
It looks like, You know, a Madden defense, where all the X factors are there.
And you’re bored, and you wanna start over.
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But you have toyou actually have to, like, grapple with the idea that I don’t know if these guys are for the Patriots.
That we’ve been saying aren’t all that good all season.
Are just going to step up to the task and say, “You know, Actually, we’re gonna lock down the best defense in football.”
And it’s not just, Like the best defense in football, it’s one that, like, Like, the individual talents of the players, that kind of ignite everything.
Where there’s just, there’s not many one-on-one matchups throughout the whole defense that you really feel bad about if you’re Houston.
On top of that, DeMeco Ryans is doing a great job.