The New England Patriots won their first playoff game since Super Bowl 53, in the 2018 season, when they pushed past the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 in the wild-card round. Now, in their first divisional round game since that same season, the Patriots will face the toughest defense they have contended with all season when they host the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
But New England may have found a slight but potentially significant advantage, and it is one that the Texans simply handed to them. According to a report Wednesday morning from NFL Network football insider Ian Rapoport, “The Patriots are bringing in some pass-rush help, signing former Texans defensive end Darrell Taylor to their practice squad with the strong possibility of elevating him for the playoffs.”
The signing comes just two days after the Texans released the five-year veteran, who appeared in only four games for Houston after spending most of the season on the injured reserve list with an ankle issue.
Taylor was released to make room on the Texans’ roster for safety Jaylen Reed, who reigned from the IR with a firearm injury.
Former Second-Round Pick Now Reportedly Healthy
According to Rapoport’s reporting on Monday, however, Taylor “is healthy now, sources say. He heads to waivers and can be claimed by a playoff team.”
While there was speculation that Taylor would be claimed by the NFC top-seeded Seattle Seahawks, they were after all the team that used a second-round draft pick, 48th overall, to select Taylor out of Tennessee in the 2020 NFL draft.
Taylor played 2024 with the Chicago Bears.
UPDATE: 7 p.m. ET: Why sign Taylor now? Patriots coach Mike Vrabel addressed that question at his Monday press conference.
“We had had conversations with him in free agency,” Vrabel said responding to a question from Heavy.com reporter Sophie Weller. “He ended up going somewhere else and then when he became available we got together and had a conversation and we were able to bring him in.”
Patriots beat reporter Taylor Kyles of CLNS Media also explained the signing of Taylor.
“They need that kind of twitchy guy that can get up field in a hurry. That’s what Darrell Taylor brings,” Kyles said in a podcast on Wednesday after the sighing was revealed. “He’s really at his best in being able to kind of fake inside and get around the edge.”
GettyDarrell Taylor of the Chicago Bears looks on after losing to the San Francisco 49ers 38-13 at Levi’s Stadium on December 08, 2024 in Santa Clara, California.
But by virtue of a tiebreaker, the Patriots held the 30th waiver-claim spot, one position ahead of Seattle, who were next in line at No. 31. That meant New England was able to put in a claim on Taylor — after 29 other teams had taken a pass on the 28-year-old.
For the first three weeks of each season, waiver claim order follows that year’s draft order. But starting in Week 4, the waiver claims are re-ordered based on current records of all 32 teams. Those with the lowest records are highest in the order.
New England Supposedly ‘Playing Dirty’
Perhaps inspired by the Patriots’ history of wrongdoing accusations such as in the 2007 “Spygate” scandal and the even flimsier 2014 “Deflategate,” the signing of Taylor provoked a degree of controversy online, with one fan accusing the Patriots of “playing dirty” by signing Taylor.
“F****** cheaters. No worries. Texans bout to whip that a**, anyways,” wrote another commenter.
“This is Vrabel trying to pick his brain for any possible info or edge,” wrote former Buffalo Bills and Patriots offensive lineman Ross Tucker on his social media account.
But others dismissed those claims, stating that any intelligence Taylor could provide would mean very little.
“I think the signing is a nothing burger. He will tell them what they already know on tape. The Texans’ defensive scheme is simple. Meet at the QB,” wrote one fan.
Houston Defense Toughest to Face Patriots Yet
While the Patriots this season have often been accused of overachieving due to a weak schedule, the same cannot be said when they face the Texans — at least with regard to the defensive side of the ball. The Texans defense allowed the fewest yards (4,713) and second-fewest points (295) of any NFL defense this season.
When it comes to attacking the opposing quarterback, however, the numbers for Houston are somewhat less impressive. With 48 sacks they ranked seventh, and their 133 pressures was only a mediocre 18th. They achieved pressures on only 21.5 percent of quarterback dropbacks, just 20th out of the 32 NFL defenses.
Taylor recorded no sacks or quarterback hits in his limited action with Houston, but in his previous four seasons — three with Seattle and one with the Chicago Bears — the former Vol racked up 24.5 sacks and 43 hits on the quarterback.
According to CLNS reporter Mike Kadlick,the Patriots may plan to keep Taylor beyond the upcoming playoff game, into next season.
“If they like what they see and can sign him long term because as you said, Harold Landry has been up and down, K’Lavion Chaisson is on a one-year deal,” Kadlick said in a Patriots on CLNS interview. “I wouldn’t be surprised either.”
Patriots Sign Texans Pass Rusher Days Before Divisional Playoff Clash