New England Patriots: Logan Ryan Was Defensive Star Against Texans
The New England Patriots were able to defeat the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round. One player that stood out was Logan Ryan.
It wasn’t a pretty win for the New England Patriots on Saturday night, but they were still able to handle their business against the Houston Texans. Coming into the game, the Patriots were one of the best teams in the NFL at protecting the football.
Shockingly, quarterback Tom Brady looked very human at times against a talented Texans defense. Brady threw two interceptions in the win, which matched his entire season total. In addition to Brady’s interceptions, Dion Lewis also lost a fumble on a kick return.
These turnovers put some unexpected pressure on the Patriots’ defense. While the Texans’ offense isn’t very good, they were handed some golden opportunities in the game. Even though the Patriots’ defense was able to stand tall despite being put in challenging spots, the Texans still scored 13 of their 16 points because of the turnovers.
One of the reasons why the Texans struggled to do more was because of the play by Logan Ryan. This season, Devin McCourty and Malcolm Butler have received much of the attention, and for good reason. However, Ryan was the star of the Patriots’ defense on Saturday night. According to Pro Football Focus, Ryan had the highest grade of any player on the Patriots.
Brock Osweiler had a tough game on Saturday night, and he really struggled when trying to throw at Ryan. On seven pass attempts to the wide receiver covered by Ryan, Osweiler had three completions for a total of nine yards. In addition to the receivers not having any success against Ryan, he also totaled two pass breakups and an interception.
Getting this type of performance from Ryan is huge for the Patriots. With the Pittsburgh Steelers coming to town for the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots will need all hands on deck to stop their talented offense. Seeing Ryan step up when the defense and the whole team needed him too is an encouraging sign moving forward.
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