The New England Patriots got three passing touchdowns from Drake Maye and a huge performance from their defense to top the Houston Texans 28-16 in a turnover-filled game Sunday in wintry conditions in Foxboro, Mass. With the win, the Patriots advance to face the Denver Broncos in next Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
With the temperature hovering around freezing and a mix of rain, sleet and snow falling throughout the game, the teams combined for eight turnovers — the most in a playoff game since 2016 — and the offenses had a tough time getting going.
Maye went 16-for-27 passing for 179 yards and the three scores, but he also fumbled four times, losing two of them. He also threw an interception on a Hail Mary at the end of the first half and was sacked five times. Maye was better in the second half, especially on a 32-yard touchdown to Kayshon Boutte, who made a sliding, one-handed grab in the end zone.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud struggled mightily — completing just 20 of 47 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown — and had four first-half interceptions.
New England’s defense outplayed the highly touted Houston unit, sacking Stroud three times, forcing five turnovers and getting a defensive touchdown on a second-quarter pick six. Stroud was hammered by edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson as he tried to throw, the ball went nearly straight up into the air, and Marcus Jones intercepted it and returned it 26 yards for a score.
MARCUS JONES PICK-6!
HOUvsNE on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/kHL1V0kHCn— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2026
The Texans also lost tight end Dalton Schultz, their second-leading receiver this season, in the first quarter to 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 victory, the Patriots improved to 3-0 all time against the Texans in the postseason. (New England also beat Houston in the divisional round following the 2012 and 2016 seasons.) Next weekend will mark their 16th conference championship game appearance since 1970, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the second most in the NFL over that time (the San Francisco 49ers have 19).
Patriots defense steps up
The Patriots defense was solid during the regular season. It wasn’t bad, but it was certainly the weaker side of the ball as the team’s offense dominated throughout. But in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the New England 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 weekend’s wild-card round, the Patriots notched a pick six Sunday, intercepted Stroud four times and scooped up a fumble to put the final tally at five turnovers.
Most importantly, they had Stroud in a blender throughout. Defensive play caller Zak Kuhr dialed up another impressive game plan and put together a package of blitzes that had the Houston quarterback looking flummoxed from the get-go.
Houston managed just 3.3 yards per play and was unable to get anything going on the ground.
The Patriots defense seems to be peaking at the right time and is absolutely rolling heading into the AFC Championship Game. — Chad Graff, Patriots beat writer
Maye’s day
For the second straight game, Maye didn’t have his best stuff but was good enough to help deliver a win. The MVP candidate came back from a so-so performance against the Chargers and continued to have issues holding onto the ball behind a struggling offensive line. His four fumbles helped keep the Texans in the game — and could have been worse if rookie tackle Will Campbell hadn’t recovered two of them.
To be fair, Maye was quite good when he had time to throw, but he struggled with holding onto the ball too long as Houston’s defensive line dominated the New England front five. His 32-yard touchdown pass to Boutte in the fourth quarter helped seal the game and was perfectly thrown.
The Patriots might not need Maye’s A game next week either, considering the backup quarterback they’ll be facing in Denver. But they would surely like to get Maye back to playing like an MVP, even if they haven’t needed that level of play in the first two rounds of the playoffs. — Graff
Ball security an issue
The biggest question for Houston entering this game was whether Stroud could cure the uncharacteristic ills that plagued him in the wild-card round against Pittsburgh. And the third-year quarterback saw his fumble woes from that game morph into an interception ailment against New England. His four interceptions killed possession after possession, and although the defense managed to keep Houston within striking distance, Stroud’s inability to execute cost his team the game. — Mike Jones, national NFL writer
Houston defense runs out of gas
It’s hard to criticize the Texans defense too much, considering the multiple times it bailed out the offense, managing to hold the Patriots scoreless on their four possessions following turnovers.
However, the Houston unit, which entered the fourth quarter having held New England to a 1-for-10 showing on third downs, wore down in the fourth quarter. The Texans gave up a six-play, 71-yard scoring drive, capped by Maye’s pass to Boutte. Then they allowed the Patriots to chew up over six minutes of clock on a subsequent fourth-quarter possession.
Generally, if your defense records three takeaways and dominates on third downs, you should get a win. But not on Sunday. — Jones
Super Bowl dreams
New England’s path to the Super Bowl is now clear. In this magical season where nearly everything has broken their way, the Patriots just need to beat a backup quarterback who hasn’t thrown an NFL pass in two years, and they’ll be off to Santa Clara, Calif., for Super Bowl LX.
They’ll head to Denver next weekend to visit Jarrett Stidham and the Broncos, after Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle late in the team’s win Saturday. Stidham, of course, was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. But his time with the franchise lasted just three years.
No, a trip to Denver won’t be easy, considering the weapons the Broncos have, particularly on defense. But it’s hard to imagine a more favorable path to the Super Bowl. — Graff
Uncomfortable offseason for Stroud
Stroud closed out the regular season in position for a lucrative payday. But now, the quarterback will face great scrutiny after a playoff fizzle in which he underperformed against Pittsburgh and then cost his team with a woeful performance against New England. Sunday’s game was a chance for Houston to advance past the divisional round for the first time in franchise history.
Now, the Texans must decide how to handle his future. Can they really give him a hefty contract in the neighborhood of $250 million to $300 million? Or, should they just pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal and see how he plays in 2026 to buy them more time before making such an investment?
Either way, the Texans have to further improve their offensive line because it’s clear that Stroud’s confidence in that unit is weak. Stroud, meanwhile, must work to improve his poise and decision-making skills while also learning how to better extend plays. — Jones
