The Patriots have an MVP candidate in quarterback Drake Maye and his rise in his second NFL season has been a dominant storyline of the team’s run to the AFC title game.
Sunday’s win over the Texans offered a reminder that Maye has had plenty of company in getting the team to this point. The Patriots defense forced five turnovers while sacking C.J. Stroud three times and holding Houston to 48 rushing yards in a 28-16 win that featured three Maye turnovers.
After the game, defensive tackle Milton Williams said he feels that people have not paid enough attention to the team’s defensive performance.
“It definitely fueled the whole defense. Nobody has been talking about our defense all year. We’ll see what they say today,” Williams said, via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. “Every week, we’re trying to come out and dominate, knowing that they do have a great defense, but in our minds, it was our defense versus their defense. See who could make more plays, create more turnovers, stop the run and get the ball back to our offense.”
With Jarrett Stidham set to start at quarterback for the Broncos in the AFC title game, there will be plenty of focus on the Patriots defense’s opportunity to propel the team into the Super Bowl by stifling Denver’s offensive hopes on January 25.
