It may not have been pretty, but the New England Patriots’ cinderella season will continue for another week. Taking on the visiting Houston Texans at snowy Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the team of first-year head coach Mike Vrabel celebrated a 28-16 win in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.
Defense dominated for much of the afternoon, with both offenses struggling to hold onto the football and string positive plays together. Ultimately, however, MVP candidate Drake Maye and company
were able to get the upper hand: aided by four first-half interceptions as well as some big passing plays and physical running, the Patriots secured their second straight playoff victory.
This means that for the first time since their 2018 campaign, and the 16th time overall in franchise history, the Patriots are on to the AFC Championship Game. There, they will meet the top seed in the conference: the Denver Broncos, who beat the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in overtime on Saturday.
It was a pyrrhic victory for the AFC West winners, though, who lost starting quarterback Bo Nix for the year with an ankle injury. In his place, ex-Patriot Jarrett Stidham will start next Sunday’s game.
Updated 2026 NFL playoff bracket
The NFL playoffs started with seven teams on each side of the bracket, including the second-seeded Patriots. After beating the Los Angeles Chargers on wild card weekend, the team clinched the right to host a playoff game for a second week in a row, something that has not happened since the 2017 season.
Wild card results
Los Angeles Rams (5) at Carolina Panthers (4) | LA 34, CAR 31
Green Bay Packers (7) at Chicago Bears (2) | GB 27, CHI 31
Buffalo Bills (6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3) | BUF 27, JAX 24
San Francisco 49ers (6) at Philadelphia Eagles (3) | SF 23, PHI 19
Los Angeles Chargers (7) at New England Patriots (2) | LAC 3, NE 16
Houston Texans (5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4) | HOU 30, PIT 6
Divisional round results
Buffalo Bills (6) at Denver Broncos (1) | BUF 30, DEN 33 (OT)
San Francisco 49ers (6) at Seattle Seahawks (1) | SF 6, SEA 41
Houston Texans (5) at New England Patriots (2) | HOU 16, NE 28
Los Angeles Rams (5) at Chicago Bears (2) | Sunday, Jan. 18, 6:30 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, Universo)
AFC/NFC Championship brackets
New England Patriots (2) at Denver Broncos (1) | Sunday, Jan. 25, 3 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
TBD at Seattle Seahawks (1) | Sunday, Jan. 25, 6:30 p.m. ET (Fox, Fox One, Fox Deportes)
The AFC Championship Game will be the earlier of the two contests next Sunday. The winner between the Patriots and Broncos will then take on the NFC champion, either the Rams, Bears or Seahawks in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium.
