Patriots have a bigger challenge waiting than just the Texans' defense

In the days leading up to the Patriots' divisional-round game against the Texans, most of the conversation has centered on how the offense will fare against the toughest defense they have faced this season. It's a sensible discussion, especially since the Chargers' defense was particularly dominant, but the Patriots might be in for a bigger struggle on Sunday.

Despite being one of their best attributes for much of the season, the defense has slowly gotten worse at stopping the run. Early on, they hadn't allowed a 50+ yards by a running back until Week 10 when they faced the Bucs.

But since then, they have mightily struggled and allowed more than 100+ yards multiple times.

Now they're about to face another challenge against the Texans, who have a two-headed monster with Nick Chubb and Woody Marks in the backfield, with the latter coming off an impressive game against the Steelers. It could become the more concerning part for the Patriots in this matchup.

The Patriots' defense might be more of the story against the Texans

With Harold Landry III and Robert Spillane back in the lineup from injury, the defensive line is certainly in a better spot than they had been over the past month. That will make a huge difference in their efforts to stop the run, but they'll need to be on top of their game to slow down a guy like Marks.

Last week against the Steelers, who have a solid defensive line led by TJ Watt, the running back broke a playoff record with his performance, on a night he recorded 19 carries for 112 yards and a touchdown.

If the Patriots can't shut him down, they will surely be in big trouble.

The good news is that Khyiris Tonga returned to practice this week, and he has been one of their best run-stoppers this season. If he is able to suit up on Sunday, it will make a massive difference in how successful the Texans' running backs are, making it crucial that Tonga is available.

They have reinforcements with Milton Williams back on the field, too, but they also need to put in a distinct effort to get to QB CJ Stroud, because disrupting him has proven to cause him to make mistakes and give the opposing team much-needed opportunities.

It will be a massive test for what this defense can do, and based on what we saw from the group last week, particularly in the second half, they have shown they have what it takes to get it done. We'll just have to see if they can do it again when the lights are even brighter.