Jan 20, 2026
3 min read
With the 28-16 victory, the Patriots advanced to face the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game, next Sunday.
The New England Patriots got three touchdown passes from Drake Maye and a big performance from their defense to outlast the Houston Texans 28-16 in a packed game Sunday in wintry weather in Foxboro, Mass. With the win, the Patriots advance to face the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game next Sunday.
With freezing temperatures and a mix of rain, hail and snow falling throughout the game, the teams combined for eight turnovers — the most in a playoff game since 2016 — and offenses struggled to get going.
Maye was 16-for-27 for 179 yards and three scores, but had four fumbles and lost two of them.He also threw a Hail Mary in the final minutes of the first half and was sacked five times.May was better in the second half, most notably with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte on a one-handed catch in the end zone.
Texans quarterback CJ Stroud struggled mightily — completing only 20 of 47 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown — and had four interceptions in the first half.
New England's defense outplayed Houston's highly touted unit, sacking Stroud three times, forcing five turnovers and scoring a defensive touchdown on a pick-six in the second quarter.Stroud was tackled by K'Lavon Chaisson as he tried to throw, the ball went almost straight up in the air and Marcus Jones intercepted it and returned it 26 yards for a score.
The Texans also lost their second leading receiver this season, Dalton Schultz, in the first quarter with a calf injury.He did not return.Houston was already without leading receiver Nico Collins, who missed the game with a concussion.
With Sunday's win, the Patriots improved to 3-0 all-time against the Texans in the postseason.(New England also beat Houston in the division finals following the 2012 and 2016 seasons).
The Patriots defense is stepping up
The Patriots defense was solid during the regular season.It wasn't bad, but it was definitely a weak side of the ball as the team's offense dominated throughout.But in the first two rounds of the playoffs, New England's defense is playing like one of the best units in the NFL.
After holding Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers to three points in last week's wild-card round, the Patriots got a pick six Sunday, intercepted Stroud four times and fumbled and held the tail end on five turnovers.
Most importantly, they had a stroud in the mixer throughout.The defensive play caller Zach Kuhr compiled another impressive game plan and compiled a pack of blitzes that had a Houston quarter looking distracting from the beginning.
Houston allowed just 3.3 yards per play and couldn't get anything done.
The Patriots defense seems to be in a good season and is headed to the AFC Championship game.
For the second straight game, Meyer wasn't at his best, but it was enough to get the team the win. The MVP candidate had a mediocre performance against the Chargers but still has trouble running the ball behind the offensive line. His four fumbles helped keep the Texans in the game -- and it could have been worse if rookie tackle Will Campbell hadn't caught two of them.
To be fair, Maye was good when he had time to throw, but he struggled to hold on to the ball for very long as Houston's defense dominated New England's front five.His 32-yard pass to Boute in the fourth quarter helped seal the game and was the perfect game.
The Patriots may not need Maye to play next week given the quarterback they will face in Denver.But they certainly want Maye to play like an MVP again, even if they didn't need that level of play in the first two quarters of the playoffs.—Graff
Ball security is a problem
Houston's biggest question heading into the game was whether Stroud could recover from the ailment that plagued him in the wild-card round against Pittsburgh.What the third-year quarterback suffered that game turned into a hamstring ailment against New England.His four interceptions spoiled possession after possession, and while the defense was able to keep Houston within striking distance, Stroud couldn't execute.Incompetence cost his team the game.- Mike Jones, National NFL Writer
Houston's defense ran out of gas
It's hard to criticize the Texans' defense considering how many times the offense bailed, holding the Patriots scoreless on four possessions after turnovers.
However, Houston's unit, which entered the fourth quarter after holding New England to a 1-for-10 performance on third down, was weak in the fourth quarter.The Texans gave up a six-play, 71-yard scoring drive, capped by Maye's pass to Boutte.They then allowed the Patriots to chew up more than six minutes of clock on their next fourth-quarter possession.
Generally, if your defense records three takeaways and dominates on third down, you should win.But not on Sunday.-Jones
Super Bowl dreams
New England's path to the Super Bowl is now clear.With almost everything going on in this magical season, the Patriots must overcome a backup quarterback who hasn't thrown an NFL pass in two years, and they'll travel to Santa Clara, Calif., for Super Bowl LX.
They will travel to Denver next weekend to visit Jarrett Stidham and the Broncos after Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle in the team's win on Saturday.Stidham was, of course, drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 draft.But his time with the franchise lasted just three years.
No, the trip to Denver won't be easy considering the Broncos' weapons, especially on defense.But it's hard to imagine a smooth path to the Super Bowl. — Graph
Awkward low season for Stroud
Stroud closed the regular season in position for a lucrative salary.But now, the quarterback will face more scrutiny after the playoffs in which he underperformed against Pittsburgh and then led his team to a poor performance against New England.Sunday's game is Houston's chance to move past the division title for the first time in franchise history.
Now the Texans have to decide what to do with his future.Can they really give him a hefty contract worth $250-300 million?Or should they pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal and wait to see how he plays in 2026 to buy themselves more time before making the investment?
However, the Texans need to improve their offensive line as Stroud's confidence in that unit is clearly weak.Meanwhile, Stride must improve his situational and decision-making skills while also learning how to better extend the game.- Jones
