It was supposed to be a game decided by the fearsome Houston Texans defense, but too many people forgot how well the 2025 New England Patriots are playing on that side of the ball, so it was left to head coach Mike Vrabel to talk up his unit after the D’ booked the Pats return to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2018 season.
New England’s defense dominated during a 28-16 win over the Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs on Sunday, January 18. The Patriots feasted with three sacks, four interceptions, including a pick-six by stud slot cornerback Marcus Jones, and a forced fumble.
Vrabel’s defense took over after spending all week hearing about a Texans group ranked second in points and first in yards. While the Houston D’ delivered at Gillette Stadium, Vrabel revealed his own defense “took it personally that Houston’s defense was getting all the love this week,” according to Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar.
Specifically, Vrabel admitted, “Yeah. I’m sure they’re gonna tell you that…they’re really good for a reason, they’ve shown it each and every week. But our guys are prideful men and they want to win…they’re a top five defense for a reason as well,” per 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Alex Barth.
Nobody should doubt the credentials of the Pats’ defense when the group is powering the team’s push through the playoffs. Interim defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr is becoming an overnight coaching sensation after his unit battered and baffled the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild-Card Round, before using a similar formula to trap the Texans and quarterback C.J. Stroud in a perpetual nightmare.
Patriots Defense Has Found Perfect Playoff Formula
The Patriots beat up Stroud and had him seeing ghosts because Vrabel allowed Kuhr to continue dialling up the blitz, the way he did against the Chargers. Kuhr’s pressure-crazed approach was especially prevalent during the first half, when the Patriots “Blitzed on 52% of dropbacks, would be their season-high and their highest in the last 20 postseasons,” according to ESPN Insights.
Relentless blitzing not only shut down Stroud’s running game. It also had him skipping in and out of the pocket, throwing early and high.
Stroud’s desperation to beat the rush led directly to Jones’ scoring theft. The turnover was forced by edge-rusher K’Lavon Chaisson and Jones profited.
Chaisson is one many newcomers who have instantly revived the fortunes of the Patriots on this side of the ball. Another fresh face, cornerback Carlton Davis III, snatched a pair of picks from Stroud.
The latter was clearly overwhelmed by how aggressive the Patriots were at both ends of their defense. On the rare occasions he had time to throw, Stroud saw his receivers struggling to break free from handsy man coverage.
Texans pass-catchers were so thoroughly plastered “the Patriots defense forced 14 tight windows on 47 C.J. Stroud pass attempts (29.8%), the highest rate by a defense over the last six postseasons,” per Next Gen Stats.
Being able to out-physical opponents up front and on the back end is a hallmark of the demanding standards and brute-force style of play Vrabel has preached to immediately make the Patriots contenders again.
Mike Vrabel Has Inspired Rapid Revival
Vrabel wasting no time returning the Patriots to relevance has been hugely impressive. He took over a team that won just eight games in the previous two seasons and had long since gone stale once six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick was left without star quarterback Tom Brady.
One year with another former Patriots linebacker, Jerod Mayo, at the helm did nothing to reverse the fortunes of the franchise, but Vrabel already has fans thinking about the Brady and Belichick glory days.
Those days were built on smothering defenses at their most opportunistic during the playoffs. This season’s unit has the same pedigree, having surrendered just 9.5 PPG and forcing 6 turnovers, according to ESPN Insights.
Vrabel and Kuhr will need another stellar day from the defense on the road against the Denver Broncos with the conference title at stake on Sunday, January 25. The Pats can expect to be favored after one of the team’s former backup quarterbacks will need to step into the starting lineup for the Broncos.
It’s another chance for Jones, Chaisson and the blitzing, turnover-binging Patriots defense to make the difference.
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