Patriots return to AFC Championship after forcing five Texans turnovers in intense winter mix
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The New England Patriots are back.
From 2001 to 2018, 13 AFC Championship Games featured the Pats, including in each of the last eight seasons of that stretch.
After six seasons without them, New England has felt at home again.
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Marcus Jones (25) of the New England Patriots celebrates after returning an interception for a touchdown against the Houston Texans during the second quarter of the AFC divisional playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 18, 2026 in Newsborough, Massachusetts. (Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Thanks to forcing five turnovers against the Houston Texans, the Pats took home a 28-16 victory in the divisional round on Sunday.
The Patriots were aggressive early, going for it on fourth-and-1 from the Houston 28 in wintry weather, and it worked with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Demario Douglas. The Texans had to settle for a field goal after a Woody Marks rushing touchdown was called back due to an illegal shift.
Houston took a 10-7 lead on a Christian Kirk touchdown early in the second quarter, and the Texans were in business after forcing a Patriots punt. But the momentum was short-lived after CJ Stroud threw a pick-six (his second of four interceptions in the first half) to give New England the lead. After a Houston punt, Drake Maye found Stefon Diggs to make the score 21-10 with 3:12 left.
Stefon Diggs of the New England Patriots celebrates with his teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Houston Texans during the second quarter of the AFC divisional playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 18, 2026 in Newsborough, Massachusetts. (Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
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Houston scored two field goals in the third quarter to make it a five-point game, all while the Patriots’ offense stalled. But in the fourth quarter, Maye hit Kayshon Boutte on a deep pass, and the receiver made an incredible grab in the end zone to go up 28-16 with 12:58 left.
Stroud struggled from the jump and ended up completing just 42.6% of his passes (20 of 47) for 212 yards.
After an MVP-caliber season, Maye’s numbers weren’t outstanding, as he posted just 179 yards on 16-of-27 passing and three turnovers, but with the help of his defense, he’s filling Tom Brady’s shoes quite well.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws in the third quarter against the Houston Texans in an AFC Divisional Round game at Gillette Stadium. (David Butler II/Image Images)
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It will be the Pats against the Denver Broncos next week for a trip to the Super Bowl, a rematch of the AFC Championship 10 years ago between Brady and Peyton Manning.
That season, the quarterbacks had been in the league for a combined 33 seasons; This season is the second for Maye and Bo Nix. Although, after Nix’s injury Saturday night, Jarrett Stidham will likely be the starter for Denver.
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