Which remaining opponents are most dangerous to Patriots defense?

3. Houston Texans

The Patriots have faced the Texans on 11 separate occasions since Houston came into the NFL back in 2002 as an expansion franchise. New England is 10-1 in those meetings, with the only loss coming back in Week 17 of the 2009 season – the game most Patriots fans remember for losing Wes Welker to a torn ACL and MCL right before the playoffs.

Since former New England offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien took over the Texans as head coach in 2014, Houston is 0-5 against Bill Belichick’s Patriots. The average margin of victory in those five games has been more than two touchdowns, though the past two contests were much more competitive than the first three… thanks in no small part to the arrival of Houston QB Deshaun Watson.

It’s because of Watson and his electrifying supporting cast – particularly at the wide receiver position – that Houston could pose a serious threat to this stout Patriots defense.

Historically, Bill Belichick’s defenses have had their share of struggles containing elusive quarterbacks that can make plays outside of the pocket (Russell Wilson immediately comes to mind). While this year’s defense did a nice job containing two mobile quarterbacks in Josh Allen and Daniel Jones, Watson should represent a much stiffer challenge in that capacity.

Houston is also one of the more explosive offenses in the country right now. The Texans already have 16 big plays this season of 25+ yards, which ranks them third in the NFL in that metric, per the Washington Post. Most of those big plays have come courtesy of Houston’s talented field-stretching receivers: DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, Keke Coutee, and Kenny Stills.

This is a significant stat to consider, because it’s pretty much the only flaw we’ve seen in this Patriots defense so far: its occasional vulnerability to the big play. Here are the three touchdowns this New England D has allowed in 2019:

• Josh Allen 1-yard rush in Week 4
• Steven Sims 65-yard run in Week 5
• Golden Tate 64-yard reception in Week 6

Obviously the first touchdown is the furthest thing possible from a “big play,” but the second two examples could spell trouble for New England when facing off against Houston’s dynamic skill position players. The Patriots will need better tackling against the Texans from whistle to whistle than they illustrated on the Sims and Tate touchdown plays, for sure.