New England Patriots: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Mike Vrabel Reflects on Patriots Reaching AFC Championship Game

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — When Mike Vrabel was introduced last January as the 16th head coach in New England Patriots’ franchise history, he set a clear goal for both himself and the organization as a whole — an objective which some (at the time) believed to be a bit overly ambitious.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

Patriots Offensive Line Struggles In Win Over Texans

The New England Patriots left Gillette Stadium winners in the AFC Divisional game, beating the Houston Texans 28-16 in a snowy atmosphere. But that doesn't mean everything was perfect.

NFL News / A to Z Sports / January 19

Patriots' win over Texans may have come at massive cost for their chances to make Super Bowl run this season

The New England Patriots are coming off a huge defensive performance in a 28-16 win over the Houston Texans to earn their shot at clinching a Super Bowl berth.

NFL News / Yardbarker / January 19

Ranking NFL's final four ahead of conference championship games

This power ranking is based on how these teams are playing heading into their new biggest game of the season.

Texans-Patriots takeaways: Offensive meltdown dooms Texans

Rams-Bears takeaways: L.A. ends Chicago's magical season

49ers-Seahawks takeaways: Seattle's defense shines again

Bills-Broncos takeaways: Another season of Josh Allen's prime slips away in OT loss

The 25 best NFL head coaches who never won a Super Bowl

The 'Winning NFL playoff debuts' quiz

Kenneth Walker III News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'NFL playoff rushing-TD record' quiz

How many of the players to rush for at least three touchdowns in one NFL playoff game can you name in five minutes?

The '4,000-yard NFL passers' quiz

The '2025-26 NFL receiving leaders' quiz

The 'Six-field-goal NFL games' quiz

NFL News / NFL on ClutchPoints / January 18

Why Patriots had chip on their shoulders before Divisional Round vs. Texans

The New England Patriots revealed the chip they had on their shoulders following their 28-16 win over the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round on Sunday afternoon.

NFL News / Yardbarker

Who had the most sacks in a season during the NFL's pre-modern era?

Thanks to pro-football-reference.com's addition of unofficial sack totals to players' resumes, more clarity has emerged about the best pass-rushing years from previous eras.

Mike Vrabel News / NFL on ClutchPoints / January 18

Patriots’ Mike Vrabel is sharing all the credit after reaching AFC Championship Game

On a snow-soaked Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium, the New England Patriots took another decisive step in their rapid turnaround, defeating the Houston Texans 28-16 to secure a spot in the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2018.

New England Patriots News / New England Patriots on SI / January 18

NFL Interest in Patriots Coordinator Growing

Even though the NFL playoffs are in full swing, the New England Patriots' coaching staff is being discussed around the league. One assistant coach is reportedly getting looks at offensive coordinator jobs, even as the Patriots sit two wins away from a Super Bowl title.

NFL News / Yardbarker

Looking back at every NFL Christmas Day game

For years, Thanksgiving belonged to the NFL, but Christmas belonged to the NBA. Occasionally, an NFL game would fall on Christmas, but it was anomalous, even avoided if possible.

New England Patriots News / Athlon Sports / January 18

Patriots QB Drake Maye Reacts to Unfortunate Bo Nix News Amid NFL Playoffs

Drake Maye led the New England Patriots to a 28-16 win over the Houston Texans in Saturday’s divisional round matchup. The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback finished with 16-of-27 completed passes for 179 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, adding 10 yards on the ground on four carries.

New England Patriots News / The SportsRush / January 18

'He Married His Seventh-Grade Sweetheart': Robert Kraft Finds ‘A Lot’ Of Similarities Between Drake Maye and Tom Brady

The AFC’s divisional round matchup between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots will likely go down as the most brutal game of this year’s playoffs.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'College Football Player of the Year' quiz

The '4,000-yard NFL passers' quiz

The 'Most passes thrown by NFL season' quiz

The 'Winning NFL playoff debuts' quiz

Stefon Diggs News / 5 GOATs / January 18

Cardi B fires back at ESPN’s NFL Live crew after Stefon Diggs, Patriots beat Texans

On Sunday, the New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans 28-16 to advance to the NFC Championship. Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs was pivotal to New England’s effort, reeling in four passes for 40 total yards and a touchdown.

New England Patriots News / New England Patriots on SI / January 18

Patriots’ AFC Championship Opponent, Date Finalized

The New England Patriots participated in one of the most unique playoff games in recent memory in their Divisional Round win against the Houston Texans, which saw both teams turn the ball over a total of eight times combined, including four interceptions thrown by Texans quarterback C.J.

NFL News / Field Level Media / January 18

Patriots snag 4 interceptions, top Texans to reach AFC title game

Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes, Marcus Jones returned an interception for a score and the New England Patriots qualified for the AFC Championship Game with a 28-16 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday in cold and snowy conditions at Foxborough, Mass.

Kayshon Boutte News / Larry Brown Sports / January 18

Kayshon Boutte produces the catch of the playoffs with one-handed TD grab

Kayshon Boutte did his best OBJ impression during Sunday’s playoff game. The New England Patriots wide receiver Boutte produced the catch of the postseason during his team’s divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans.

Rhamondre Stevenson News / New England Patriots on SI / January 18

Key Patriots RB Suffers Eye Injury In Divisional Round

New England Patriots' running back Rhamondre Stevenson got poked in his eye in the first half. Any injury is paramount — with the race to the coveted Super Bowl LX down to eight teams as New England takes on the Houston Texans, which has one of the best defenses in the league.

Carlton Davis News / Ball Exclusives / January 18

Watch: Patriots CB Carlton Davis III pulls off unreal interception

The New England Patriots have been locked in defensively to start Sunday’s AFC divisional round matchup against the Houston Texans. Their impressive first quarter was highlighted by a spectacular interception by Patriots CB Carlton Davis III.

NFL News / Yardbarker / January 18