FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's pocket awareness, and ability to feel the pass rush closing on him, step up and still make a positive play, are among his greatest strengths.
Brady’s excellence in that area has frustrated many opponents, including the team visiting Gillette Stadium on Sunday, the Houston Texans. Brady is 7-1 lifetime against the Texans (including playoffs).
But the Texans might have uncovered something to combat Brady -- or, at the least, slow him down -- in last season’s divisional-round playoff game. By moving disruptive ends Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus to the middle of the line in obvious passing situations, and isolating one-on-one matchups for them against New England center David Andrews and guards Joe Thuney and Shaq Mason, it created a level of disruption that has not often been seen against Brady.