Mina Kimes responds to Cardi B’s clapback

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Rex Villas | Last updated Jan 19, 2026 10:53 AM ET

CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans have reached the end of the road of their journey in the NFL playoffs. They also made a bunch of sports personalities look bad, especially those who picked Houston to defeat Drake Maye and the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round.

As it turned out, the Texans were no match for New England, which thumped Houston for a 28-16 victory on Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

Following the game, Cardi B, the girlfriend of New England star wide receiver Stefon Diggs, took her sweet time calling out Mina Kimes and the other ESPN’s NFL Live crew for picking Houston to thwart the Patriots.

Admitting that she’s lost the battle, Kimes simply acknowledged Cardi B’s clapback.

Getting dunked on by Cardi B….an honor and a privilege tbh https://t.co/yR7h8GGMzD
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 18, 2026

Cardi B must have already felt a win was coming for the Patriots before the first half even concluded, as Stroud struggled mightily in the pocket early on.

Stroud threw four interceptions in the first half, while the Patriots built an 11-point lead, thanks in part to Diggs’ touchdown catch with under three minutes left in the second quarter. The veteran wideout finished the contest with 40 receiving yards on 4 catches and 6 targets.

The Patriots will play for a ticket to the Super Bowl next Sunday, when New England faces off against the Bo Nix-less Denver Broncos in the AFC title game at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo.

You already know where Cardi B will be putting her “bands in the coupe” for that matchup.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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