A throwback weekend for Drake Maye's first start and other Patriots-Texans news and notes
FOXBORO -- When Drake Maye makes his first career start for the Patriots this weekend, he'll give the franchise a glimpse of the future while wearing threads from the past. New England will be in the team's red "Pat Patriot" throwbacks for the first time this season on Sunday when the 4-1 Houston Texans come to town for a Week 6 clash at Gillette Stadium.
Fans go bananas over the red jersey-white pant-white helmet look, based on the uniforms worn by the franchise from 1984-92 and then sporadically as an alternate from 1994-2012. The Patriots have worn the uniforms 10 times since 1984 -- including twice in each of the last two seasons -- and are 7-3 while sporting the look.
The "Pat Patriot" throwbacks were good luck to start, with the Patriots winning seven straight in the uniforms from 1994-2022. But the Pats have lost their last three times out in their throwbacks, lowlighted by last season's 6-0 loss to the L.A. Chargers at a rainy Gillette Stadium last December.
Can the Patriots turn their fortunes around with a rookie quarterback at the helm against a really good Houston Texans team this weekend? Here's all you need to know about the upcoming matchup.
Patriots vs. Texans
- The Patriots own an 11-3 record overall against the Houston Texans, including a pair of playoff victories.
- The Patriots are undefeated at Gillette Stadium against the Texans, with a perfect 5-0 record in the regular season and a 2-0 record against Houston in the postseason. Both of those playoff wins came in the Divisional Round, with New England winning 41-28 in 2013 and 34-16 in 2017.
- The Patriots and the Texans haven't squared off in Foxboro since the 2018 season opener. New England won that game, 27-20, with Tom Brady throwing three touchdown passes in the victory.
- The last three meetings between the Patriots and the Texans were in Houston, and the Texans took two of those matchups. The Patriots won the most recent showdown, 25-22, thanks to a fourth-quarter touchdown connection between Mac Jones and Hunter Henry and a 21-yard field goal by Nick Folk with 15 seconds left -- one of four kicks that Folk put through the uprights that afternoon.
- With quarterback C.J. Stroud leading the charge, the Texans have the No. 1 passing offense in the NFL this season, averaging 272.4 yards per game through the air. Houston has the sixth-best overall offense in the league, averaging 376.6 yards per game.
- However, Houston is ranked 19th in the NFL at 20.4 points per game through five weeks.
- But we'd love that kind of offense in New England, with the Patriots averaging just 250.8 yards of total offense (31st), 119.4 passing yards (32nd), and 12.4 points per game (31st) so far this season.
- The Houston defense is no slouch either, ranked fourth in the NFL with 274.2 yards allowed per game and third with 154.0 passing yards allowed per contest. The Texans are allowing 22.8 points per game, which is tied for 17th. The Patriots' defense ranks ninth at 20.4 points allowed per game.
- Fans at Gillette Stadium could see a lot of yellow flags flying for a second straight Sunday. The Patriots were hit with 12 penalties (plus two more that weren't accepted) in last week's loss to the Dolphins, and are up to 28 on the season. But that's nothing compared to the Texans, who lead the NFL at 47 penalties on the year.
Patriots-Texans connections
- The Patriots have two former Texans on their roster: Kicker Joey Slye and corner Alex Austin. Slye was 4-for-5 on field goal attempts in three games with Houston in 2021, while Austin spent time with the Texans (and on the Houston practice squad) early in the 2023 season before landing with the Patriots.
- Patriots offensive line coach Robert Kugler got his first NFL job in 2021 when he hired as an assistant offensive line coach for the Texans.
- There are five former Patriots on the Houston roster: Cornerback Myles Bryant, tight end Dalton Keene, guard Shaq Mason, cornerback D'Angelo Ross, and running back J.J. Taylor.
- Houston general manager Nick Caserio spent nearly 20 years in New England to start his career in football, both as a coach and a member of the franchise's player personnel department. Caserio was the Patriots director of player personnel from 2008-2020 before becoming GM of the Texans.
Everything else you should know about Patriots-Texans
- Drake Maye will become the fourth Patriots rookie quarterback to make their first career start since 2016, joining Bailey Zappe (2022), Mac Jones (2021), and Jacoby Brissett (2016). Brissett and Zappe both won their first starts -- Brissett helped the Patriots beat the Texans in place of an injured Jimmy Garoppolo -- while Jones lost his first start.
- The Patriots were beasts on the ground in Week 5, rushing for 151 yards on 19 carries for a franchise-record 7.95 yards per carry against the Dolphins. If the Pats average at least 6.0 yards per carry on Sunday, it will be the first time since 1962 (and just the second time overall) that New England has averaged 6.0 yards per carry in back-to-back games.
- Keion White has 10 QB hits and has recorded at least one in all five games so far this season. The most QB hits by a Patriots player in a season is 28, set by Matthew Judon in 2022.
- Hunter Henry needs just one reception this weekend to reach 150 for his Patriots career. He is currently eighth on New England's all-time list for receptions by a tight end, and needs four more catches to pass Jim Whelan and his 153 receptions.
- Stroud has thrown at least one touchdown pass in all five games this season. He's thrown at least one touchdown in 12 of Houston's last 13 regular season games going back to his 5-touchdown game last November.
- Stroud has been held without a touchdown pass in just three of his 20 regular season games as a pro.
- Texans receiver Stefon Diggs has seven touchdown receptions in nine career games against the Patriots.
Tune in to Patriots-Texans on WBZ-TV -- your television home of the New England Patriots! Pregame coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. with Patriots GameDay (which you can also stream on CBSBoston.com), kickoff is set for 1 p.m., and after the game stick around for full reaction and analysis on Patriots 5th Quarter!