Julian Edelman, Dion Lewis

New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis (33) congratulates wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) on his touchdown in the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

(Steven Senne)

The Patriots host the league's No. 1 ranked defense Saturday at Gillette Stadium, a task that may not be as daunting as it sounds.

The last time the Patriots faced the top-ranked defense in the NFL, they hung 496 total yards and 30 points on the Ravens.

On Saturday, the Pats square off with the Texans, who yielded 20.5 points and just over 300 yards per game during the regular season.

Here is the individual outlook for several of New England's offensive skill players:

DION LEWIS: The Pats ramped up Lewis' workload over the final three weeks of the regular season to prepare him for the playoffs. Lewis logged 50 touches in Weeks 15, 16, and 17. LeGarrette Blount had 51 touches in that span.

Houston has been excellent against the run in recent weeks. From Week 8 to the Wild Card round, the Texans have held opponents to 204 carries for 711 yards (3.48 per attempt). Smaller backs have had more success than big backs against Houston. Consider the Week 15 matchup with Cincinnati: Rex Burkhead, a shifty back, recorded 16 touches for 67 yards, while Jeremy Hill carried just seven times for eight yards.

Due to his elite agility, Lewis can often turn a poorly blocked play into a 4-5 yard gain. Blount, while more likely to rip off a long run, is also more susceptible to being tackled at the line of scrimmage. Don't be surprised to see Lewis take the lead role here.

LEGARRETTE BLOUNT Lately, the Pats have been using Blount to wind down the clock at the end games. Lewis, meanwhile, has served as the lead back early in games (before the score gets out of hand). The 250-pound Blount remains the goal line back and is always a threat to score. He found the endzone in 13 of 16 games this season.

Blount missed Wednesday and Thursday practices due to an illness, but was removed from the team's injury report Friday. He is not listed with a designation for Saturday's game.

JULIAN EDELMAN Finished the season on a tear, averaging 93.5 yards in the second half of the season. Edelman has an extremely high statistical floor. Over the final eight games, he never had fewer than 73 receiving yards. Edelman averaged 12.1 targets per game in that span.

The Pats will aim to attack Texans slot cornerback Kareem Jackson, who has yielded a 106.8 passer rating while in primary coverage, according to The Washington Post.

CHRIS HOGAN While he has had a very good season, Hogan's big games are hard to predict. He draws a tough matchup here, likely pitted against one of the Texans outside cornerbacks (A.J. Bouye or Johnathan Joseph).

Hogan has seen at least five targets in three of his past five games. He also had fewer than 30 yards in four of those five games.

MALCOLM MITCHELL The rookie receiver is the only Patriots player listed with a designation for Saturday's game. Due to a knee injury that kept him out in Week 17, Mitchell is questionable to play against the Texans. He will likely test the knee out in the pregame. If Mitchell is good to go, he'll have a role in the Pats offense. The emergence of Michael Floyd and, to a lesser extent, the return of Danny Amendola could cut into his snaps, though.

MICHAEL FLOYD If Mitchell is out, Floyd could play a large role Saturday. As the No. 3 receiver in Week 17 against the Dolphins, he delivered a pair of highlight plays, bulling through four Miami defenders for a touchdown and then laying out defensive back Tony Lippett on Edelman's 77-yard touchdown catch.

MARTELLUS BENNETT After a midseason scoring drought, Bennett has caught three touchdowns in four games. His five targets in Week 17 against Miami marked the most he has seen since Week 10. Bennett is not a high-volume player in the passing game, but he is always a threat to score in the endzone.

JAMES WHITE With Lewis' role expanded, White has averaged 5.2 touches over the past four games. He caught a 25-yard touchdown pass in the Week 16 rout of the Jets.

DANNY AMENDOLA Tough to predict how much Amendola will play. If active, he will likely return punts and see the field on third-down passing situations. He has not played since Week 13 due to an ankle injury.