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10 takeaways from the Patriots’ gritty playoff win over the Texans
New England’s defense forced five turnovers in another dominant defensive showing on Sunday.
FOXBOROUGH — The New England Patriots are heading back to the AFC championship game.
In a game marked by stingy defensive performances for both clubs, New England did enough to come away with a gritty 28-16 win over the Texans at a snowy Gillette Stadium.
Drake Maye overcame a turnover-heavy day to throw three touchdowns in the victory, while New England’s defense finished the game with five total turnovers.
New England’s season continues next Sunday when the Patriots travel to Denver to take on the Broncos with a chance to play in Super Bowl LX on the line.
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Here are 10 takeaways from Sunday’s win.
Drake Maye, Patriots offense survive a rock fight.
Sunday was going to stand as the toughest test Drake Maye and the Patriots’ explosive offensive had faced so far this season.
And sure enough, Houston’s elite defense was as advertised on Sunday.
The Patriots’ second-year QB did throw three touchdowns in his second playoff victory, but New England’s offense still spent most of Sunday’s game trying to stay afloat against an aggressive and suffocating Houston defense.
In total, Maye was knocked for four fumbles (two lost) and one interception (albeit a Hail-Mary heave at the end of the first half), with New England’s offensive line getting battered by Houston’s elite pass-rushing duo of Will Anderson Jr. (three sacks, two forced fumbles) and Danielle Hunter (two sacks, one forced fumble).
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But be it a 4th-down conversion to Pop Douglas in the first quarter that opened the scoring, a throw to Stefon Diggs in traffic for another first-half TD, or heaving the ball to Kayshon Bouute for a highlight-reel score in the fourth quarter, Maye did make the throws he needed to on Sunday to come away with a win.
Maye will need to clean up the turnovers moving forward — as he’s been knocked for six fumbles (three lost) and two interceptions over two playoff games. But for now, Maye and Co. survived and advanced on Sunday evening.
New England’s defense dominates once again.
For the second game in a row, Mike Vrabel’s defense elevated its game in the postseason to bail out a shaky showing from Maye and the Patriots’ offense.
After sacking Justin Herbert eight times in last week’s wild-card victory over the Chargers, Zak Kuhr and his defense put another QB in a blender on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
For all of Maye and the Patriots’ struggles on offense, it didn’t factor all that much in a game where New England made life miserable for Houston’s C.J. Stroud.
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The Texans QB labored all evening, throwing four interceptions in the first half alone before Chrisitan Gonzalez forced another fumble in the third quarter.
New England’s four interceptions stand as the first time that the Patriots have recorded four picks in one playoff game since doing so against the Colts in the 2013 AFC divisional round (Jan. 11, 2014).
In total, Stroud completed just 42.6 percent of his throws for 212 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions.
New England’s turnaround season has been headlined by Maye and the Patriots’ offense coming to the rescue on numerous occasions.
That script has flipped in the postseason, with New England’s now-dominant defense likely licking its chops at what awaits next week against the Broncos new starting QB, Jarrett Stidham.
Pop Douglas makes Texans pay on 4th down.
After both New England and Houston traded 3-and-out drives to open Sunday, the Patriots landed the first blow off of a gutsy call from Mike Vrabel and New England’s coaching staff.
Staring at a 3rd-and-14 situation from Houston’s 14-yard line, Maye hit Diggs for a 13-yard pickup. Rather than opt for a field goal to get points on the board against a stingy Houston defense, Vrabel and Co. instead opted to go for it on 4th and 1.
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Facing a blitz, Maye hit DeMario Douglas on a crosser — with the shifty wideout beating safety Calen Bullock on 1-on-1 coverage and running into the end zone for a 28-yard score.
Through New England’s first two drives, Maye completed five of his first six passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Houston countered on their next drive with a 25-yard field goal from Kaʻimi Fairbairn, but it could have been far worse for New England.
On a 3rd-and-1 sequence from New England’s 1-yard line, Texans running back Woody Marks scampered in for a touchdown, but it was called back after Houston was flagged for an illegal shift.
The subsequent 3rd-and-6 play for Houston was an incomplete pass from Stroud to Jayden Higgins, with Houston settling for the three points.
Patriots squander Davis interception
Houston had a prime chance to add more points on their next drive after pushing the ball into New England territory.
But Carlton Davis — who was whistled for a facemask penalty earlier in the game — redeemed himself with his first interception in a Patriots jersey.
Davis’s impressive snag off an ill-advised throw from Stroud seemingly took points off the board and swung momentum back in New England’s favor. But it didn’t last for long.
Just two plays later, Maye attempted to scramble on a broken play and subsequently coughed up the ball — with Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair recovering the ball on New England’s own 23-yard line.
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It stood as Maye’s second fumble in three snaps, as New England’s previous drive fizzled up after Maye was strip-sacked (and ultimately recovered by Will Campbell).
Houston made New England pay for Maye’s miscue, as Stroud hit Christian Kirk in the end zone on a 10-yard throw to give Houston a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter.
Marcus Jones gives Patriots life.
Following another Patriots punt, it was looking like the Texans were starting to dictate Sunday’s game on their terms in the second quarter.
At least, such was the case until Stroud made another massive miscue.
On a 1st-and-10 situation from Houston’s own 25 yard line, K’Lavon Chaisson dialed up the pressure on Stroud, who opted to heave a pass instead of take the sack.
Stroud’s throw fluttered through the air before it was snagged by Marcus Jones, who returned it back into the end zone for a 26-yard pick-six — giving New England a 14-10 lead.
Much like last week’s win over Los Angeles, an uneven showing from New England’s offense didn’t spiral into disaster given the resurgent play of the Patriots’ defense.
Sure enough, New England capitalized on Houston’s very next drive, as Stroud was picked off for a third time in the first half.
After Stroud’s throw to Xavier Hutchinson bounced off the wideout’s hands, rookie safety Craig Woodson was there to snag his first career NFL interception — once again flipping the ball back in New England’s favor.
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A timely sack by Will Anderson did squander that New England drive, with the Patriots ultimately forced to punt.
Diggs’s catch in traffic builds New England’s lead.
As shaky as Maye and the Patriots’ offense was for most of the afternoon, they doled out plenty of damage in the waning minutes of the second quarter.
After yet another Houston punt, New England orchestrated a five-play, 56-yard touchdown drive in just 2:48 of game clock — with Maye moving the ball down the field with some timely throws.
A pair of slant catches from Kayshon Boutte totaling 43 yards helped New England move the ball into the red zone, with Maye then finding Diggs for six points — with the veteran wideout snagging his pass in traffic to give New England a 21-10 lead.
In a game where New England struggled to generate much traction on offense, Diggs’s catch proved to be all the insurance that the Patriots needed on Sunday.
Davis caps a disastrous first half for Stroud.
New England’s defense wasn’t done feasting against Stroud before halftime. On the same drive where Davis was whistled for defensive pass interference, the veteran corner once again redeemed himself — picking off Stroud for the second time with an impressive tip-toe snag while covering Hutchinson.
Sunday marked the second game of Davis’s career with at least two interceptions, having also done so at Houston on Nov. 10, 2024 when he played for the Lions.
Once again, New England couldn’t capitalize on a Davis pick, as Maye was strip-sacked for the third time in the first half after Campbell was beat clean by Anderson.
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Campbell did recover the loose ball once again to prevent New England from coughing the ball up. But Anderson’s sack did push New England out of field-goal range to waste another turnover generated by the Patriots secondary.
Still, New England’s defense routinely made life miserable for Stroud and the Texans in the first half. After the first 30 minutes of action, Stroud completed just 10-of-26 throws (38 percent) for 124 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions.
Patriots, Texans trade turnovers.
After Houston opened the second half with a field goal to make it a 21-13 game, both the Patriots and Texans continued their defensive rock fight in the third quarter.
New England’s first drive of the second half was disastrous, with Anderson once again beating Campbell clean 1-on-1 and strip-sacking Maye for the fourth time in the evening. Al-Shaair recovered it in what stood as New England’s third turnover of the game.
The Texans had another prime chance to put more points on the board, but Christian Gonzalez delivered New England’s fifth forced turnover of the game — ripping the ball from Woody Marks hands and allowing Woodson to pounce on the loose ball.
But in what had been a recurring trend all game long, Maye and the Patriots were unable to counter after the defense delivered — going 3-and-out and punting on the very next drive.
Houston’s next drive was capped with a 51-yard field goal from Fairbairn, making it a 21-16 game entering the fourth quarter.
Boutte delivers
New England entered the fourth quarter converting on just one of its 10 third-down opportunities against Houston’s stingy defense.
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But Maye and the Patriots made their second third-down conversion count.
On a 3rd-and-4 from Houston’s 32-yard line, Maye lofted up a ball down the sideline to Boutte, who had already forced a defensive pass interference call against Derek Stingley Jr. earlier in the drive.
With Stingley in coverage once again, Boutte beat the All-Pro corner and reeled in a one-armed catch in the end zone for a highlight-reel TD. Boutte’s clutch snag gave New England a 28-16 lead — giving an anxious Gillette Stadium crowd an opportunity to exhale.
That would be all that New England needed to ice the game, as the Patriots ran out the clock for the remainder of the fourth quarter with a steady dose of runs for Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.
For all of New England’s struggles on offense, Stevenson once again had a strong showing with 70 rushing yards on 16 attempts.
Next Up? Denver.
The Patriots will now advance to the AFC Championship game, where they will take on the Broncos in Denver next Sunday, Jan. 25. Kick-off from Denver is set for 3 p.m., with the game to be broadcast on CBS.
Denver holds court as the top seed in the AFC, but the Broncos are at a severe disadvantage entering next week’s showdown with a trip to Super Bowl LX on the line.
While Denver boasts the No. 2 scoring defense in the NFL — allowing 18.3 points per game — they will be without starting QB Bo Nix, who suffered a broken bone in his ankle late in Saturday’s OT win over the Bills.
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New England will still face a tough test in Denver, especially against an elite Broncos defense. Still, the Patriots have to like their chances matched up against former backup QB Jarrett Stidham — who is now scheduled to start the AFC championship game for Denver.
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LIVE UPDATES:
6:18: Final: Patriots beat the Texans, 28-16. New England advances to the AFC title game. A wild season continues next week in Denver. Plenty more to come on Boston.com!
6:18: Patriots force a turnover on downs and New England is gonna win this one.
6:06: Houston punts once again for the fifth time today. New England has a chance to ice this one.
5:59: New England is moving the ball once again — with a Stefon Diggs picking up a first down on a 3rd-and-7 play.
5:43: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS. What a snag by Kayshon Boutte for the touchdown. New England has some breathing room.
It’s 28-16.
5:39: Derek Stingley is whistled for DPI on Boutte. New England catches a break.
5:36: End Third: Patriots holding a slim 21-16 lead. New England’s offense needs to execute and give the defense time to breathe.
5:31: Fairbairn’s field goal from 51 yards out is good. It’s a 21-16 game with 1:32 left in the third quarter.
5:26: Carlton Davis’ ninth DPI penalty (second tonight) moves the ball 21 yards for Houston.
5:22: Annnnnd New England goes 3-and-out. This game remains a slog for Maye and the Patriots offense.
If New England is going to advance to the AFC title game, the Patriots’ defense is going to need to keep balling out.
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5:17: Houston’s fifth turnover of the day takes points off the board. Gonzalez rips out the ball out from Marks — and Woodson recovers.
New England takes over on the 12-yard line.
A rock fight here in Foxborough.
5:15: Chaisson sacks Stroud, but Houston gets out of a 2nd-and-18 with a 12-yard compassion and a 10-yard scramble.
5:12: Maye is strip-sacked for the fourth time. This time, Houston recovers.
Will Anderson again smokes Will Campbell on that play. Azeez Al-Shaair with the recovery. Yikes!
5:10: Rhamondre Stevenson back in the game after suffering an eye injury in the first half.
5:06: New England’s defense bends a bit more on Houston’s opening drive of the second half, but Marcus Jones breaks up a pass to Christian Kirk to prevent a touchdown.
Houston settles for a field goal from Fairbairn.
It’s now a 21-13 game with 9:45 left in the third quarter. New England needs a response on offense.
5:01: The Texans nearly fumble again, but Hutchinson was ruled down by contact before the ball was ripped away.
4:43: Halftime: Patriots lead the Texans, 21-10. Frankly, this one should be a complete blowout given how poorly Stroud has played. New England needs to execute and protect the ball on offense.
4:40: Maye is strip-sacked again. Campbell with his second fumble recovery to prevent that turnover. Still, that play pushes New England out of field-goal range.
He attempts a Hail Mary, but it’s picked off by Ja’Marcus Ingram.
4:39: The Texans might have to bench C.J. Stroud in the second half.
4:35: Once again, New England can’t make the most of another Davis INT, as the Patriots punt.
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4:34: Carlton Davis, again. He makes up for another penalty by recording his second interception of the day against Stroud.
Stroud now has four interceptions in the first half.
4:28: Carlton Davis is whistled for pass interference. Houston moves up 20 yards to their own 39.
4:24: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS. Stefon Diggs gets revenge against his former team, reeling in a 7-yard catch in traffic for a touchdown.
New England has a 21-10 lead with 3:12 to go in the first half.
4:22: Kayshon Boutte is moving the chains. Two catches for 43 yards on that drive.
4:20: Woodson back in the game for New England.
4:19: Barmore gets to Stroud again and Houston punts once again. New England taking over from its own 44.
4:17: More injury updates. Craig Woodson is questionable to return with a head injury. Rhamondre Steveson is questionable to return with an eye injury.
4:16: Now Tytus Howard — filling in as Houston’s right tackle with Trent Brown out — is down.
4:15: Dell Pettus now in for New England at safety. Woodson was rocked by Woody Marks as he returned that interception.
4:15: The Texans have ruled out TE Dalton Schultz for the game.
4:13: A Will Anderson sack blows up that drive, and New England has to punt.
4:11: Another Patriots pick! Stroud turns the ball over once again, as his pass to Hutchison bounces off his hands and is picked off by Craig Woodson. It’s the rookie’s first career interception.
4:03: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS. Marcus Jones keeps on making plays.
Chaisson smokes Stroud as he throws and Marcus Jones picks off the pass and returns it for a touchdown. Two picks for Stroud.
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What a swing in momentum for New England.
It’s a 14-10 lead for New England.
4:01: New England’s offense stalls out once again. Baringer on to punt.
3:57: TreVeyon Henderson is down after that first-down play. He walks off on his own power after a minute.
3:56: Maye scrambles on 3rd and 7 and gains the first down.
3:50: TOUCHDOWN TEXANS. Houston makes New England pay after Maye’s fumble — as Stoud connects with Christian Kirk for a 10-yard touchdown.
It’s 10-7 Houston with 12:51 to go in the first half.
3:46: Robert Spillane is back on the field.
3:45: End First: Patriots lead, 7-3, but the Maye and the Patriots need to be much better protecting the ball. Two fumbles in the opening 15 minutes for the Patriots QB.
3:43: So much for that. Maye scrambles and he fumbles the ball. Houston recovers from the 27-yard line.
3:40: Carlton Davis redeems himself. His first interception of the season gives New England the ball on their own 18-yard line.
3:35: Robert Spillane is questionable to return with a thumb injury.
3:34: Sure looks like Schooler was held on that return. Houston taking over from New Englad’s 47-yard line.
3:32: New England punts, but it could have been far worse. Maye is strip-sacked, but Will Campbell recovers the ball. New England is punting.
3:27: Stroud can’t hit Higgins in the end zone on 3rd down.
Houston hits the field goal. It’s a 7-3 game.
3:25: On a 3rd-and-1 from the 1-yard line, Houston is whistled for an illegal shift. Wipes out a touchdown from Woody Marks. Now 3rd-and-6.
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3:23: Not good. Carlton Davis is flagged for a facemask after Kirk picks up a third down. Houston on the six-yard line.
3:20: Ooof. On a 3rd down, Stroud hits Schultz for a 42-yard gain. Houston now on New England’s 27. Good play by Stroud to escape the pocket and buy himself some time.
3:14: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS. Maye hits Pop Douglas over the middle and he scores a 28-yard touchdown. Impressive start for New England on a gutsy call.
3:13: Diggs picks up 13 on a 3rd and 14. Patriots going for it.
3:11: Stevenson hits the edge and gains 20 yards with a strong run. New England utilizing the screen game.
3:07: Nice response by New England’s defense, as they also force a 3-and-out.
3:05: A quick 3-and-out for the Patriots. Texans offense up next.
3:01: Gillette Stadium is ready to roll.
3:01: Houston wins the coin toss and defer. Maye and the Patriots are up first.
3:00: Ty Law is the keeper of the light.
2:34: Ty Law is on the scene here at Gillette.
2:28: The snow is starting to fall here in Foxborough.
2:24: Zdeno Chara is on the scene here at Gillette — wearing a Christian Gonzalez jersey.
Gonzalez gave Zdeno Chara a shoutout last week:
2:24: New England’s offensive line during warmups:
LT Will Campbell
LG Jared Wilson
C Garrett Bradbury
RG Mike Onwenu
RT Morgan Moses
2:10: Warmups are underway. More of a wintery mix so far.
2:06: Ann Michael Maye is ready to roll.
1:46: Drake Maye takes to the field for warmups.
1:32: Here is Houston’s inactives. No Trent Brown on the offensive line, while the loss of Nico Collins (concussion) is a brutal break for the Texans offense.
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1:31: Patriots inactives have been posted. Good news for New England’s defense as Harold Landry — deemed questionable with a knee injury — is good to go. Tonga is also active.
1:10: Greetings from Gillette!
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