Reinforcements are arriving for the Patriots defense ahead of Sunday's clash at Gillette Stadium against the Texans.
New England has activated LB Sione Takitaki from injured reserve, with the free-agent addition set to make his Patriots debut on Sunday. The Patriots opened Takitaki's three-week practice window on Oct. 2. However, unlike fellow reserve listers Kendrick Bourne and Marte Mapu, Takitaki was not activated last week. On Friday, head coach Jerod Mayo offered a positive update on Takitaki's status, and it's now official that he'll return from injured reserve against the Texans this week.
Along with activating Takitaki, the Patriots also elevated RB Terrell Jennings and LS Tucker Addington from the practice squad for Sunday's game. Jennings will join Antonio Gibson and JaMycal Hasty as healthy running backs on the roster, as lead-back Rhamondre Stevenson (foot) was ruled out on Friday.
Returning to Takitaki, the veteran could provide a major boost to a linebacker group that is missing captain Ja'Whaun Bentley in the middle of the defense. Over the last three games, the Patriots are 17th in rush EPA allowed after opening the season ninth against the run in the first two weeks. Plus, the Pats have been inconsistent in covering the middle of the field without Bentley in the lineup.
Since the Bentley injury, the Patriots are allowing +0.15 expected points added per pass attempt over the middle of the field, 23rd in the NFL. Furthermore, New England is allowing 8.4 yards per pass attempt on throws between the numbers, ranking 25th in that stat defensively. Although he's not known as a thumping run defender like Bentley, the 238-pound Takitaki could help improve the pass coverage from the second level of the defense moving forward.
Last season, Takitaki played 61.1% of the defensive snaps for the Browns, with 60% of his plays coming in passing situations. Many thought the 29-year-old was brought in to replace LB Mack Wilson, who played a similar role in the Patriots defense. Takitaki shows flashes of coverage ability while also registering a sack, QB hit, and seven hurries as a pass rusher in 2023. Takitaki plays with a great motor and is a capable zone/help defender. Listed at 238 pounds, the 28-year-old has the movement skills in coverage to handle a wide range of responsibilities.
In this clip, you can see Takitaki (No. 44) take away two reads as a help defender in the Browns man coverage scheme against this week's opponent, C.J. Stroud and the Texans. Takitaki reads Stroud's eyes to provide inside help to the return route, then falls underneath the two in cuts. Stroud forces it into the deep in cut on the levels concept and is nearly intercepted.
After Bentley's injury, veteran LB Raekwon McMillan's usage has increased to a 71.9% snap rate. McMillan is a serviceable role player and core special-teamer, but he would benefit from splitting the off-ball duties with Takitaki. Takitaki will also positively affect LB Jahlani Tavai, who can now return to his "adjuster" role as a hybrid LB/EDGE defender. As much as Takitaki's skill set can help, the ripple effect that his return could have on the defense as a whole could be huge as the Patriots try to replace Bentley by committee.
As for the running game sans Stevenson, losing their lead-back to injury is a major blow to the Patriots offense, especially while trying to properly support rookie QB Drake Maye in his first career start. That said, Gibson is having a great start to the year. Gibson ranks second in average yards after contact (4.54), fourth in average rushing yards over expectation (2.2), and fifth in yards per rush attempt (5.9). Now, the veteran back will make his second-straight start for the Patriots and will look to build on his terrific start with a larger workload.
The Patriots are elevating undrafted rookie RB Terrell Jennings over third-year back Kevin Harris, which is a bit surprising. Jennings is a 225-pound back who runs with good power between the tackles. In the preseason, Jennings averaged 6.2 yards per attempt on 12 carries, generating 54 yards after contact with four forced missed tackles. Between Jennings and Hasty, the hope is that the Pats can alleviate some of the burden on Gibson without Stevenson in the lineup.
At long snapper, Addington, who has been with the team previously, was elevated from the practice squad after top long-snapper Joe Cardona popped up on the injury report with a calf injury. Cardona leads all long-snappers with four special teams tackles this season but was a Friday addition to the injury report and is officially questionable. Addington's elevation signals that Cardona's status for Sunday is up in the air.
The excitement for third-overall pick Drake Maye's first career start will undoubtedly be palpable at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. Although they're still 6.5-point home underdogs to the Texans (4-1), the hope is that Maye will spark an offense that currently ranks 31st in scoring while also flashing his immense physical potential to leave Pats fans coming away from Sunday's game with hope for the future.
The Patriots host the Texans with kickoff at 1:00 pm ET at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
