The New England Patriots invested heavily in their defense this offseason, and it showed on Sunday night. Milton Williams, K'Lavon Chaisson, and Christian Elliss, all of whom signed contracts this offseason, were major pieces to the team's success in holding the Chargers to just three points.
Aside from the pressure the team applied to Herbert, the secondary play was also impressive. No Charger had more than three catches or 32 yards, a remarkable feat given Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey's separation abilities.
The Texans, however, use a greater variety of receivers than the Chargers do. Nico Collins is, of course, the team's No. 1, but he remains questionable with a concussion. Christian Kirk, however, just had a career day with 144 yards against the Steelers. Their trio of Iowa State receivers, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, and Xavier Hutchinson, is next up on the depth chart.
Not having Collins may seem like a major disadvantage, and of course, it is. But his potential omission from Sunday's contest won't make up for the fact that New England needs to deliver on the back end.
In fact, Houston is 5-1 when a wide receiver not named Collins leads the team in receiving yards. Their only loss was a 16-9 contest against the Rams in Week 1, when Higgins led the squad with 38 yards.
Charles Woods will be a key player in New England's game against the Texans
With the Texans having capable weapons aside from Collins and tight end Dalton Schultz, the Patriots will need their backups to be at their best. While Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, and Marcus Jones are the starting trio, Charles Woods is the next man up.
Woods, a 25-year-old from Dallas, joined the Patriots this season after being waived by the Rams. He first played his college football at Illinois State, then transferred to West Virginia. He would play his final season in his hometown of Dallas with the SMU Mustangs. He went undrafted in 2024.
Woods jumped to the CB4 role after Alex Austin landed on IR, but still primarily played special teams. While he played only 61 snaps in his first eight games this season, he's played 80 over his past four. He's allowed six catches for 67 yards in that time, a 72.7% completion rate.
While he isn't all that sticky in coverage, he can limit big YAC plays because of his tackling: just a 9.1% missed tackle rate on the year. His flexibility to play on the outside and in the slot has allowed him to fill in as needed, though he's primarily been the replacement for Gonzalez or Davis when they're being checked for injuries.
As mentioned, the Texans have had success with wide receivers other than Collins as their top threat. While the top three cornerbacks are sure to do their job, Woods will be the X-factor. If he can lock up Houston's fourth option, they'll have to rely on running back Woody Marks, who had just 3.6 YPC this season. That's a recipe for disaster against one of the league's best run defenses.
Woods will likely have the responsibility of covering Noel and Hutchinson in nickel packages. Noel is a speedy rookie who will need containing through Woods' sure tackling, while more of Hutchinson's catches have been 0-9 yards beyond the LOS than any other depth this season, further necessitating sure tackling.
The Dallas native won't get the pregame hype other players might, but it doesn't relinquish his importance to this matchup. A solid game from Woods could very well be what ensures New England shuts down the Houston offense and moves on to the AFC Championship.