The Patriots are deep in preparations for Sunday’s 3 p.m. divisional-round playoff game towards the Texans at Gillette Stadium.
Our readers have questions concerning the matchup, Christian Gonzalez’s well being and what to anticipate out of Drake Maye.
Let’s reply them in our weekly mailbag.
@DDeFlip8: Gonzo gonzo gonzo.. any replace? What are his probabilities to play? If he’s out will we change to a primarily cowl protection and abandon man? Who’s extra essential for his or her crew to have Gonzo or Nico for the Texans ?
Each the Patriots and Texans have main damage query marks heading into this week’s matchup. Gonzalez is in concussion protocol after exiting Sunday’s wild-card spherical win over the Chargers with a head damage.
The participant he would most certainly match up towards in shadowing conditions, Texans broad receiver Nico Collins, can also be in concussion protocol after struggling a head damage in Monday evening’s win over the Steelers.
Passing by means of concussion protocol is a five-step course of, and dropping a day, like Collins has in a brief week, is critical.
We’ll know way more about each of their conditions on Wednesday, once we’ll see in the event that they’re capable of follow in non-contact jerseys. If Gonzalez is ready to get on the sphere in a crimson non-contact jersey Wednesday, then he has a shot to play.
Head coach Mike Vrabel was requested about Gonzalez twice on Monday.
“We’ll undergo regardless of the steps are that might require him to go by means of no matter he must do,” Vrabel stated on WEEI. “So with out having seen him at this time, I can’t sit right here and speculate. I simply know that they wouldn’t let him return within the recreation.”
Vrabel added in his press convention: “I’d say that he can be within the protocol. How lengthy that lasts, I don’t know, however whenever you don’t return to the sport, once they received’t allow you to return within the recreation, that might put him within the protocol. So, wherever that goes, that goes. … Hopefully, we’ll get him again.”
Vrabel sounded hopeful, however concussions can clearly be difficult, and the crew received’t wish to rush him again, even in a playoff scenario.
The Patriots would possibly lean just a little extra closely into zone if Gonzalez can’t play. And as for who’s extra essential, I would say Collins. That’s nothing towards Gonzalez, however Texans QB C.J. Stroud actually struggled Monday evening towards the Steelers. He wants all the assistance he can get.
If Gonzalez can’t play, then Charles Woods would seemingly elevate right into a beginning function. If Collins can’t play, then Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins and Xavier Hutchinson would seemingly all see their roles enhance.
@jpftw: What must occur for a Patriots win/Texans win? In these eventualities, what went mistaken/proper for us?
This recreation actually comes right down to the hole between Drake Maye and Stroud at quarterback and the hole between the Texans’ protection and the Patriots’ protection, and which is greater.
Maye is a greater quarterback than Stroud. The Texans’ protection is best than the Patriots’ protection.
If the Patriots’ protection can proceed to play like they did towards the Chargers, exploiting a questionable Texans offensive line, forcing errors out of Stroud, enjoying sticky protection towards their broad receivers and making them one-dimensional by stopping working again Woody Marks, then the Patriots will seemingly win.
However that hasn’t been the Patriots’ protection that we’ve seen all season.
So, if they’ll’t, then Maye must elevate his recreation even larger towards a Texans protection that makes opposing quarterbacks play worse than Cam Ward or J.J. McCarthy. Their EPA (anticipated factors added) per go this season ranked league-lowest at -0.26. Ward ranked final amongst certified QBs with a -0.23 EPA per play. Maye led the league at +0.25. The Texans solely allowed a constructive EPA per play as soon as this season, and that got here Week 1 towards the Rams.
Luckily for the Patriots, Maye has been PFF’s eighth-highest graded QB underneath stress this season. Stroud, in the meantime, ranks thirty third out of 41 QBs. So, getting stress on the Texans QB is paramount.
@tre_fal: Is that this recreation the place the Patriots can run the ball proper on the Texans to mitigate the go rush?
No, not precisely. The Texans’ run protection isn’t nearly as good as their go protection, however they nonetheless rank eleventh in EPA per rush. They’ve solely allowed a constructive EPA per rush in six video games this season.
That being stated, anticipate the Patriots to come back out and run the ball. Rhamondre Stevenson has been unbelievable for the final 5 weeks, and rookie TreVeyon Henderson can rip off a giant play at any second.
@ReallJayr: Why not get your velocity guys extra concerned like Henderson or Kyle Williams?
I don’t suppose it was for a scarcity of effort. Henderson carried the ball 9 occasions in Sunday’s win. He simply didn’t do a lot together with his alternatives. Williams performed 21 snaps and caught one 7-yard go.
There are different gamers on offense who’ve confirmed extra reliable than Williams, so that you don’t need him to chop into their snaps too closely.
@wil_adv: Hello Doug. Towards the Chargers, the Patriots’ protection appeared suffocating, not like something I’ve seen within the common season. Is that this a postseason impact? Thanks for the good work. Wilson
Hey Wilson, I believe it’s a mix of various issues.
First, it was completely huge to get Milton Williams, Robert Spillane and Harold Landry III again in a two-week span. Second, the Chargers’ porous offensive line performed a large function in how the Patriots have been capable of play. Third, the Patriots made some stylistic changes, blitzing the Chargers closely as soon as they have been pressured to be a one-dimensional passing crew.
Can they do it once more? Perhaps. They’ll’t be predictable, however the Patriots’ go rush proved they’ll get house when blitzing final week, and Stroud doesn’t fare properly when blitzed.
@midwestgirl1987: Do you suppose that Tonga has an opportunity to play this Sunday?
He was noticed on Friday with out pads however performing some working. So, that seemed to be signal for his injured foot.
