After defeating the Los Angeles Chargers, the New England Patriots will host the Houston Texans in the Division Round on Sunday. While the Texans' offense struggled against the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout the opening round, their defense played great, leaving time to tell if they'll be as effective against the Patriots this weekend.
In New England's game against the Chargers, the offense wasn't as good as it could be. Defensively, the Patriots played well under interim defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr. For the Patriots to advance to the AFC Conference Championship, the offense will need to play better, which will be tough going against this Texans defense.
Fortunately, the Patriots just made a move that will to get some better knowledge on the Texans' defense.
Patriots Signing Ex-Texans Pass Rusher Darrell Taylor Could Have a Deeper Impact
On Wednesday, the Patriots signed former Texans defensive end Darrell Taylor to the practice squad, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 2025 was Taylor's only season with the Texans, appearing in only four games for them before he was waived in the lead-up to the Wild Card Round. Before signing with the Texans, he spent three years with the Seattle Seahawks and last season with the Chicago Bears, where he accumulated 123 sacks and 24.5 sacks.
The timing of Taylor being added to the practice squad is important, as he can be used to help prepare for the Texans' defense, given his time spent with the team. Any bit of helpful information could make a difference, whether it's some secrets behind Houston's pass-rushing plans or how the opposing coaching staff plans to use its defensive pieces.
It will be interesting if Taylor is signed just to help prep the offense, or if head coach Mike Vrabel and Kuhr see potential in playing him. If he can end up helping New England on the field and in the pre-game planning stages, even better.
Adding Taylor should hopefully give the Patriots' offense some insight on how to beat this tough Texans' defense. Houston has made opposing offenses collapse due to the pressure applied by its defense, and New England will have to be ready for it.
Should the Patriots be prepared, as long as the defense continues playing well, things should go fine for them. Quarterback Drake Maye has already proven that he can lead New England's attack against some of the NFL's best defensive units, and some help from Taylor could help that trend continue this weekend.