The New England Patriots will face a stiff test in their divisional round matchup with the Houston Texans on Sunday.
It’s safe to say the feeling is mutual on both sides, though…
Drake Maye will have the attention of the folks down at NRG Stadium.
“He can sling the ball, can escape the pocket. Does a great job throwing the deep ball,” Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans said, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. “Very aggressive at trying to take their shots. High-powered offense. His ability to escape the pocket is what we have to be aware of this time around.”
Maye isn’t just aggressive on shot plays, he’s extremely successful with them — finishing with a 52.1% completion rate (25-of-48) on passes of 20-plus air yards, including five touchdowns and zero interceptions in 2025. Maye also ranked fourth in rushing yards (450) among all quarterbacks — trailing only Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (579), Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (498) and New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (487).
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If you’re a fan of the home team, you’ll almost certainly be fearful of Houston’s insanely aggressive and impactful defense — which ranked first in total yards allowed (4,713) and EPA per play (-0.13) in 2025. If you’re a fan of the away team, you’ll be consumed by the idea of stopping one man and one man only — Drake Maye.
Featured image via Barry Reeger/Imagn Images
