The New England Patriots won a slugfest on Sunday in Foxborough against the visiting Houston Texans. It was a game that saw eight total turnovers, including a pick-six by Marcus Jones, his sixth non-offensive
TD since the 2022 season, which is best mark in the NFL during that span.
With Jones and the defense leading the way, the Patriots beat the Texans 28-16 and punched their ticket to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2018 season. Let’s get into our lessons learned from the divisional round battle at a snowy Gillette Stadium.
Defense wins divisional games
For the second week in a row, the Patriots were stuck in a defensive battle. The offenses both struggled, but turnovers ultimately proved to be a major difference: New England was able to force five of them, including the aforementioned touchdown by Marcus Jones. The Patriots only turned the ball over three times, and they were ultimately able to do enough against a spirited opponent.
The Texans defense, of course, got the headlines all week. Ultimately, however, the Patriots defense was the more dominant unit on Sunday and the main reason that they won this game and are moving onto the AFC Championship.
“It was a group effort,” said head coach Mike Vrabel of his defense after the game. “We talked about it being a group effort. Whether that’s understanding the call, understanding where each guy fits.”
Drake Maye does enough
Drake Maye had a rough game against Houston’s defense, fumbling the ball four times and losing two of them. (He also threw an interception, but it was on a Hail Mary, so I don’t really blame him for that one.)
His pocket awareness wasn’t great, and he missed some opportunities, like the deep passes to Kyle Williams where he had a step on cornerback Kamari Lassiter. As much as he struggled under the Texans’ relentless pressure — he was sacked five times on the day and never really was able to operate from a clean pocket — he became the only quarterback to throw for three touchdowns against this defense in 2025.
The matchup was difficult, he didn’t play like the MVP on Sunday, and he has to be better next week. But Maye did enough to win on Sunday, and that’s all that really matters.
Will Campbell is in a funk
Patriots first-round draft pick Will Campbell has been solid for most of the season, but he had a rough game against one of the best edge rushers in the league, Will Anderson Jr. The Patriots seemed unwilling to give him help for most of the game, and Anderson was able to get in and sack Maye three times and also forcing a pair of fumbles.
There were some questions about Campbell going into the season, and, though he’s been good most of the year, those questions loomed large on Sunday. He is still a rookie who missed substantial time with a knee injury this season, but the fact is that if he keeps playing like that even against top-tier competition, it is going to be increasingly tough to justify him staying at left tackle long-term.
Patriots receivers know how to catch
Drake Maye has been great all year, but his receivers have not gotten enough credit for some of the plays they have. That continued on Sunday, with two highlight-reel catches by Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte.
The one-handed reception by Boutte will get the attention, and rightfully so, but the degree of difficulty on Diggs’ touchdown is no joke either. Catching it away from his body, while his hands are being ripped down, and with a defender hitting him in the face is no easy feat.
Ultimately, both of those catches show just how good the two receivers are, and Maye did a nice job of putting the ball there for them as well. They are going to need to keep making some tough catches next week as well, when they face off against another dominant defense in Denver.
Carlton Davis injury is a concern
Carlton Davis stepped up big time on Sunday. The free agency acquisition picked off C.J. Stroud twice, with both of them being right on the sideline. He also looked good in the run game as well, but left with a head injury in the early fourth quarter. The hope is that he didn’t come back out only because the game was essentially over, and not because he is dealing with any major issue (similar to what happened with Christian Gonzalez last week).
Charles Woods has played well when he’s gotten the opportunity, and Alex Austin is off of IR, but having Davis gives the Patriots a boost and quality opposite Christian Gonzalez. He proved that on Sunday.
Christian Gonzalez has a nose for the football
Speaking of Christian Gonzalez, the Pro Bowler was outstanding on Sunday. He led the team in tackles, forced a fumble, almost had another one (the receiver went down just before the ball came out) and also registered a pass breakup. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he was targeted 16 times in coverage, the most any defender has faced this season. However, he only gave up 58 yards on seven catches, an average of a mere 3.6 yards per target.
The Patriots played a lot of man, and Gonzalez did a solid job locking down whatever receiver was opposite of him. He looked like the corner that the Patriots are going to have to make one of the highest-paid players at his position ever. If he plays like that every week, he will be well worth the money.
The pass rush crushes C.J. Stroud
The Patriots only finished the game on Sunday with three sacks, but they had Texans QB C.J. Stroud in a blender all day, and it was a big reason why Stroud threw his four interceptions.
They haven’t gotten the recognition of other units, and they haven’t been great at rushing the passer for the majority of the year, but the Patriots really stepped up in the playoffs, and that continued at Gillette on Sunday. The Broncos are going to be playing with a backup quarterback next week, so if the group can rush the passer as effectively as it did on Sunday, there’s a good chance that they will win that game and punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.
K’Lavon Chaisson is a menace
Chaisson was brought in as a free agent on a one-year deal in March, and has more than justified being kept around on a longer contract. He finished the regular season with the second-most sacks on the team, and had two takedowns plus a forced fumble last week against the Los Angeles Chargers.
His strong play continued with another sack on Sunday against the Texans. He generally was in C.J. Stroud’s face all day, and was the catalyst for the Marcus Jones pick-six as well.
The Patriots have been looking for a consistent pass rush, and Chaisson has been giving them just that in these playoffs. If that continues, it’s going to go a long way to helping them reach their 12th Super Bowl in franchise history.
Rhamondre Stevenson’s resilience keeps shining through
Rhamondre Stevenson had a challenging start to the season. After losing his father, he also continued to struggle with holding onto the ball, fumbling three time over the first five games of the year.
Mike Vrabel and his coaching staff, however, stood by the running back, and he repaid their confidence once again on Sunday.
Stevenson fought off an eye injury to run for 70 yards on 16 carries, and he consistently hit the right hole and kept the legs churning. With rookie TreVeyon Henderson looking slow to read and react against the Texans, having the veteran in there was a big boost. The Patriots play another great defense next week in Denver, and they are going to need another solid performance from their No. 1 back if they are going to win.
Jarrett Stidham awaits
When the Broncos beat the Bills on Saturday, it was a huge win for the franchise and allowed them to host the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2015 season. And then, Sean Payton announced that Bo Nix would be getting surgery and be out for the rest of the season.
The next man up is Jarrett Stidham, who the Patriots drafted and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels traded for and tried to play in Las Vegas with the Raiders. Stidham has never been a great quarterback, but, if the Broncos can establish the run and take the game out of his hands, is capable enough to at least hold on and win a game.
For a guy who hasn’t played in such a long time, the Patriots are uniquely equipped to have a full scouting report on him, and they should be very well prepared for him. Ultimately, they need to force Stidham to beat them and if they are able to do that, there is a great chance that they will be headed to Santa Clara.
