Patriots' Kayshon Boutte confident in preparing for Texans: 'They're not too complicated on defense'

The New England Patriots are set to face the Houston Texans in their first Divisional Round game in seven years. Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte downplayed the challenge of preparing for the Texans' defense, which ranks second in the NFL in points allowed and first in yards surrendered. Boutte emphasized the importance of beating man coverage, which the Texans frequently use, rather than dealing with complex defensive schemes.

Houston's defense is led by pass rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, who have combined for 153 pressures, utilizing a four-man rush on 75.8% of plays. Their secondary, featuring cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., has been effective in man coverage, contributing to the Texans' nine-game winning streak.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye will need to improve against man coverage compared to his performance in the wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers, where he struggled with only 7 yards on 1-of-7 passing.

The matchup will be a test