There’s no denying the Houston Texans’ defensive prowess: they boast the league’s scariest pass rush and not one, but two first-team All-Pro players on that defense in Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley Jr.
That second name – Stingley – has struck fear in the hearts of plenty of offensive playmakers. Well, that’s just not the case with New England wide receiver Kayshon Boutte.
Stingley allowed just 34 catches during the regular season and opposing quarterbacks posted an average passer rating of 67.4. He and his cornerback counterpart, Kamari Lassiter, tied for third-most interceptions among all league corners with 4 during the regular season.
Speaking at his locker Thursday, Boutte acknowledged Houston’s obvious talent but said he feels good about seeing either defensive back in coverage.
“I think they’re just physical cornerbacks. But at the end of the day, I’m physical too. So that’s a matchup I like every day of the week,” Boutte said. “Derek Stingley [is a] good cornerback. Played against him in college, last year too, but I look forward to the matchup.”
“I feel like on the outside and the boundary, it’s a lot of man coverage. Whether you say Cover 3, Cover 4, they sit and press it and play true man-to-man. So it’s not something I’ve never seen before,” he added.
Stingley wrapped the regular season with 15 passes broken up, while Lassiter had 17.
Boutte had a hot start to the season with two 90+ receiving yard games in the first six weeks, but his production was a bit quieter in December. He did, however, catch all four targets from Drake Maye in last Sunday’s Wild Card win over the L.A. Chargers, for 66 yards.
He was asked whether Houston presents the toughest defense he’s had to prepare for in his football career.
“I wouldn’t say one of the toughest. At the end of the day, we know we’re going to get man coverage. We’ve gotta beat it. It’s that simple,” he said.
It’s worth noting that Boutte finished the regular season ranked fourth in yards per reception among all NFL wideouts, just one spot ahead of Texans receiver Nico Collins. Boutte’s average was 16.7 yards, while Collins’ was 15.7 – and Boutte’s success rate was 69.7%.
So if he’s feeling confident against the Texans’ secondary, it could spell a long afternoon for their defensive backs.