Patriots vs. Texans Takeaways: Another Super Bowl Appearance Nears

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — While it may not have been their most aesthetically pleasing performance this season, the New England Patriots made enough timely plays backed by a strong defensive performance to earn a 28-16 victory over the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL playoffs.

With the victory, New England has punched its ticket to the AFC Championship Game. Quarterback Drake Maye completed 16-of-27 passes for179 yards and three touchdowns, while throwing only one interception. Conversely, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 212 yards on 20-of-47 attempts with one touchdown and four interceptions.

On the preventive side of the ball, the Patriots defense forced eight combined turnovers by the Texans, the most in a playoff game since 2015, when the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers combined for eight in the NFC championship game.

As a result, head coach Mike Vrabel — in his first season as Patriots coach — will lead the franchise to its 16th conference championship game appearance and first since their run to their sixth Super Bowl title under Bill Belichick in 2018. In that vein, here are five key takeaways from New England’s Divisional Round victory over the Texans.

The Patriots are Headed to their First AFC Championship Game since 2019

Though the official written record rightfully credits the 2018 season as providing the Patriots' last appearance in the Conference’s biggest stage, the Pats will be taking the field with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line for the first time since Jan. 20, 2019 — an eventual 37-31 victory for New England over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Pats are hoping to earn the same result when they head to the Rocky Mountains for a showdown with former Pats quarterback Jarrett Stidham and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on Jan 25.

While the Broncos and Patriots each finished 14-3 in the regular season, Denver was awarded the top seed based on their record over common opponents. Denver’s previous triumph over the Las Vegas Raiders gave them the common opponent tiebreaker — given that the Pats lost to the Raiders in Week 1. The Broncos will present a formidable challenge to either team, having finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in scoring defense in the NFL, allowing 18.3 points per game.

Sometimes Par is Good Enough to Win

While Houston’s offensive futility may have taken the majority of the spotlight in this matchup, New England clearly had its struggles with the Texans’ top-ranked defense. Houston’s ability to control the line of scrimmage allowed them to keep the Patriots playing behind the line. As a result, Maye absorbed three sacks and fumbled three times, while losing one.

New England’s offense delivered a season-high six three-and-outs, the Texans held the Pats to only 179 total receiving yards and 105 total rushing yards. Still, New England delivered when needed. Maye’s three touchdowns were delivered accurately and on-time to DeMario Douglas, Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte, respectively. It may not have been Maye’s best work. However, he was good enough to get the job done when the stakes were at their highest.