Texans @ Patriots
Final Score: Texans 41, Patriots 21
Writer: Matt Bevins (MattBQBList-X/Reddit)
The New England Patriots ushered in a new era in Foxborough this weekend as Drake Maye started his first career game. He was expectedly outplayed by C.J. Stroud, but there were signs of life for the first time in a while here in New England. The game was a predicament for New England fans, as the defense didn’t show out as usual, given the quality of offense Houston employs, but the youth was alive and well for the first time all year. The Texans were without their hottest star, Nico Collins, and still had a wealth of riches in offensive options.
Three Up
- Drake Maye – The result is never what you want as a fan, but the fact they were able to hang 21 up on one of the most energetic and explosive defenses is a good sign that Maye is much closer to being ready than anyone thought he was.
- Kayshoun Boutte/Demario Douglas – There were a lot of errors made by the offensive players in this game, as most substituted bricks for hands on many of their targets, but Kayshoun Boutte and Demario Douglas were the bright spots on the day. Both left the game with a touchdown and showcased that they could see a huge rise in value with Maye under center.
- Tank Dell – Tank Dell was garnering a lot of chatter as “a wasted pick” or was getting sized out of the offensive schemes. In the first week without Nico Collins, Dell erupted. He does need time to get back from his brutal injury, but he may also have been getting burned for opportunity by the talent around him. Dell looked explosive, shifty, and valuable to the offense.
Three Down
- Antonio Gibson – I don’t see how this man is still gaining opportunity in today’s NFL, as he lost his job to Brian Robinson in Washington and is now milling around in New England, punching well above his weight. An average of 1.9 yards per rush isn’t going to get it done, and while this could have been a chance to break into some of Rhamondre Stevenson‘s workload, it now is likely a chance to look for another running back on their roster to give these chances to going forward.
- Ja’Lynn Polk – Just a week removed from a huge reception that was called back, Polk looked like he was still out of sorts and looking for some form of life. There are way too many options in this offense to sit around and wait for Polk to figure it out, so this could be the last we hear from him until next year in terms of fantasy relevance.
- Ancillary New England players – This team has a lot to figure out, and all the players who aren’t named Douglas or Boutte may need to check in and see if they’re going to be dressed for next week’s game. Between Kendrick Bourne, Austin Hooper, and Javon Baker, there isn’t much being uncovered with anyone in the second half of the depth chart, and it doesn’t seem to be changing.
Houston Texans
Quarterback
C.J. Stroud- 20/31, 192 yards, 3 TD’s, 1 INT | 3 carries, 7 yards
C.J. Stroud cannot be contained. There’s a good chance that Stroud will once again finish as a QB1, and with good reason. Calm and collected in the pocket and with a variety of options to hit on the daily, Stroud used all portions of the field and the talents of every receiver to help put the Texans out to an insurmountable lead. Stroud started the game with a quick march down the field and found Tank Dell in the middle of the field on a zippy line drive while he was falling in the center of the end zone. Stefon Diggs looked once again unbeatable, as he was able to break from Christian Gonzalez on a few plays as well. Stroud’s accuracy is something that will likely break him free from a lot of the quarterbacks hovering somewhere between the QB5-10 range of value.
Running Backs
Joe Mixon- 13 carries, 102 yards, 1 TD | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 30 yards, 1 TD
Dameon Pierce- 8 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD | 1 reception, 1 yard
Dare Ogunbowale- 2 carries, 8 yards
Joe Mixon returned from an ankle injury and immediately factored back into the game. He looked no worse for the wear as he galloped around the field with ease, averaging a hefty 7.8 yards per carry. Mixon broke one hundred yards on the ground and also saw some reps in the receiving game. Mixon will likely spend a bit more time on wheel routes and play-action dishes. Mixon’s rushing yard was a 20-yard chunk of rushing brought on by a handoff where he dug in, leaped towards the line, and broke to the left for an almost entirely open field after passing the line. It seems as if the offense may be as reliant on Mixon as it is on Stroud to keep the ball continuously moving. What a huge game for his value.
https://twitter.com/NFLTDsVideos/status/1845553448097374643
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Stefon Diggs- 7 targets, 6 receptions, 77 yards, 1 TD
Tank Dell- 9 targets, 7 receptions, 57 yards, 1 TD
Dalton Schultz – 8 targets, 4 receptions, 27 yards
While the offense of the Texans is incredibly high-octane and can often kill a defense from sheer speed and ability to pile up first downs, it’s very highly predicated on their top targets. Between Diggs, Dell, and Dalton Schultz, they combined for 24 of Stroud’s 31 attempts, almost 80 percent of his passes. As it was apparent early on in the week that safety Jabrill Peppers would not see the field this week (and may likely never see the field again for the Patriots), the Texans put the Patriots’ defense on their heels quickly and kept digging in. Diggs’ touchdown ended up in almost the same area as the touchdown that Tank Dell scooped in in the first quarter, leaving Christian Gonzalez on his heels as he was pulled up by the play-action call. It’s very safe to say this is a top 5 NFL offense.
https://twitter.com/JamesRoyNFL/status/1845537478901723198
New England Patriots
Quarterback
Drake Maye – 20/33, 243 Yards, 3 TD 2 INTs | 5 carries, 38 yards
It’s gonna be Maye in New England for a long time. In a losing effort, Maye gave everyone just a taste of why he was picked #3 out of North Carolina, and it was one of the few highlights of this season that’s almost two months in. Maye, for the most part, looked poised in the pocket, made smart reads, and even made some impressive passes. One of those passes ended up with a touchdown for Kayshoun Boutte, an absolute seed that hit him in stride going into the end zone. Maye also carried the ball for almost 40 yards, scrambling as pockets broke down in front of him. While this may not be the season where Maye finishes up in the top 10, it’s possible to see that he can get there. For the time being, I would be more excited to seek out Boutte and Demario Douglas on waiver wires, as they have a quarterback who can finally reach them.
Running Back
Antonio Gibson- 13 carries, 19 yards | 4 targets, 3 receptions,24 yards
Jamycal Hasty- 3 carries, 12 yards | 2 targets, 1 reception, 9 yards
The running game was almost entirely unnecessary on Sunday due two-fold to the fact that the running backs were incapable, and the team spent almost the entire game on their heels, needing to make bigger chunks of yardage plays than running would usually do. Antonio Gibson found out later in the week that he would be the number one back, and it didn’t help to do much for his value. He averaged under 2 yards per carry and, from what was seen, spent almost the entirety of his rushes trying to get out from behind the line. When the game became a bit of an afterthought for the Pats, they put JaMycal Hasty in to try and see what they could have in a backfield without Rhamondre Stevenson. He was more efficient but still none too exciting. This team needs Stevenson to be any bit of a multi-faceted offense.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Demario Douglas – 9 targets, 92 yards, 1 TD
Kayshoun Boutte- 3 targets, 3 receptions, 59 yards, 1 TD
Hunter Henry – 5 targets, 3 receptions, 41 yards, 1 TD
Kendrick Bourne – 2 targets, 2 receptions, 9 yards
Ja’Lynn Polk – 4 targets, 1 reception, 4 yards
Austin Hooper – 2 targets, 1 reception, 5 yards, 1 Fumble
There are so many weapons in the Patriots’ receiving room, but we may have finally found a couple distancing themselves from the rest of the group. Demario Douglas has found himself in many situations where he could likely be something, but finding expectations tapped due in no small part to inconsistent or lacking passing games. Without Jacoby Brissett behind center, we may have finally found something that could get our engines revving in New England. Douglas has excitable game tape, is speedy, and is capable of breaking away from coverage. He also has some burner speed that could help propel him to the top of the target list for some time to come. His touchdown came on a pass with him heading toward the middle of the field and ended with him using some speed to break away from a defender just enough to break the plain.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1845551501131001966
While having less opportunity, Kayshoun Boutte may also be rounding out into someone who could take a large step up for this team in the weeks and months to come. As mentioned earlier, Boutte found himself in a great position for a touchdown in this game, catching a ball in stride to the right hash marks for a touchdown. This would normally be a style of play we’d see come from Kendrick Bourne, but Bourne has recently found himself either injured or in a doghouse.