Game preview: Texans at Patriots

When the Patriots run – Edge: Patriots

The one thing the Patriots have managed to do consistently this season is run the football. Both Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson were productive when given the opportunity to establish the ground game. Both were effective in the Week 5 loss to Miami, averaging 7.4 and 8.7 yards per carry, respectively. Houston, meanwhile, has struggled to stop the run, allowing an average of 120.2 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry. Those totals put the Texans in 17th place^Th and 25^Th in the league in these categories. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt expects to try to exploit that weakness with a steady diet of his top two defenders. The Texans have the personnel to stop the run better than they have shown. Defensive coordinator Matt Burke utilizes a constant rotation at defensive tackle that includes Mario Edwards, Folorunso Fatukasi, Tim Settle and Khalil Davis in front of linebackers Henry To'oTo'o and Azeez Al-Shaair. This group will focus on containing a Patriots ground attack that at times shredded the Dolphins for nearly 8 yards per attempt. The Patriots will likely focus on scoring 19-plus runs against the high-powered Texans.

If the Patriots come over – Edge: Texans

This area, however, has been non-existent for the Patriots all season. So much so that calls to start rookie Drake Maye as quarterback grew louder and the switch to rookie was made. Jacoby Brissett failed to find rhythm as a passer, and while that wasn't entirely his fault, he didn't do much to improve things. The Patriots rank last in the league in passing, averaging just a paltry 119.4 yards per game. Brissett completed just 58.5 percent of his passes despite rarely attempting to push the ball downfield and had just two touchdowns in five starts. Pass protection was the main problem and Brissett once again had to face a struggling Dolphins defense that was missing its top two pass rushers. The Patriots made some adjustments up front with Mike Onwenu moving inside to defend and Vederian Lowe, returning from injury, to man the left tackle spot. It is possible that some continuity within the group could lead to some improvement in the coming weeks. The protection will have to be better if Maye wants to find DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk and Kendrick Bourne, who returned from PUP to make his debut against Miami. The Texans have top edge rushers in Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, so this won't be an easy task.

When the Texans run – Edge: Patriots

Houston's ground game was limited, largely due to the absence of lead back Joe Mixon. Mixon had a strong debut for the Texans before suffering an ankle injury in Week 2 that caused him to miss Houston's final three games. Before the injury, he was averaging 4.7 yards per carry, so his potential availability could greatly improve Houston's running game. Without him, the experienced Cam Akers took over the lead role and the production could not have happened. The Texans average 104.2 yards per game on the ground and barely 4 yards per carry, numbers that rank 23rd^approx and 24^Th in the league or The Patriots are in 13th place^Th Stop the run and allow 118 yards per game, but had a difficult performance in that regard against Miami. Despite using their fourth quarterback, the Dolphins gained 193 yards on the ground and averaged 4.7 yards on a whopping 41 carries. The Patriots need to improve these numbers, especially if Mixon returns to the lineup. Davon Godchaux remains strong in the middle, but without Ja'Whaun Bentley behind him, the run defense has faltered in recent weeks. The key will be keeping the Texans one-dimensional.

If the Texans pass – Edge: Texans

Eliminating the run to keep the Texans one-dimensional may not be enough, as Houston's passing attack is as dangerous as any in the league. Second-year quarterback CJ Stroud isn't suffering from a sophomore slump and leads the league's top-ranked passing game, averaging 272.4 yards per game through the air. Stroud is completing 69 percent of his passes and has thrown for 1,385 yards and seven touchdowns through the first five weeks. He also has a talented group of receivers to work with, including former Bill Stefon Diggs (31 catches, 315 yards, 2 TDs), Nico Collins (32-567-3) and Tank Dell (13-137- 0). Collins left last week's win over the Bills with a hamstring injury suffered on his 67-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter, and he will be considered week-to-week. Even without the biggest threat, the Texans are dangerous. Veteran Robert Woods and tight end Dalton Schultz are possible options, as are the running backs. But it all starts with Stroud, who was impressive despite being under considerable pressure at times. Stroud was sacked 14 times in the first five weeks, so perhaps the Patriots could put some pressure on him to slow things down. Christian Gonzalez is coming off his best game of the season and should see a lot of Diggs, especially with Collins potentially out. Look for the Patriots to continue to bring in plenty of zone looks. This will be a big task.

Special Teams – Edge: Patriots

Despite the struggles early in the season, the Patriots' special teams have managed to make some good plays in most games. Against the Dolphins, these included a blocked punt from Brenden Schooler and another strong day from punter Bryce Baringer. Unfortunately, there were also some missteps, such as Joey Slye's missed 33-yard field goal and the possibility of Braxton Berrios sliding down the sideline for a 12-yard return late in the first half to give Miami good field position bring to. Baringer was one of the team's bright spots, averaging 51.7 yards per punt and netting 44.2 yards. Houston is also solid in the shooting game, Ka'imi Fairbairn got off to a great start with his field goals. Fairbairn has gone 11 of 12 this season, but even more impressive is 8-for-9 from 50-plus yards, including last week's 59-yarder at the buzzer that gave the Texans a win over the Bills. Punter Tommy Townsend does a good job of tying his opponents inside the 20 with just one touchback against 10 downs. Woods handles both kicks and punts for the Texans, with a 36-yard punt return to his credit. Steven Sims also handles both but was inactive for the Bills game. Marcus Jones hasn't broken free on punts for the Patriots yet, but he's always a threat to do so.