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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 during that stretch.
After six seasons without them, New England is back home.
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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 Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Thanks to five turnovers against the Houston Texans, the Pats earned a 28-16 victory in the divisional round on Sunday.
The Patriots were aggressive early, going fourth-and-1 from Houston’s 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 change.
Houston took a 10-7 lead with a Christian Kirk touchdown run 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 it 21-10 with 3:12 left.
Stefon Diggs of the New England Patriots celebrates with 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 Foxborough, 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, while the Patriots’ offense stalled. But in the fourth quarter, Maye hit Kayshon Boutte on a deep ball, and the receiver made an incredible dive into the end zone to go up 28-16 with 12:58 to play.
Stroud struggled from the jump and finished completing just 42.6 percent of his passes (20-for-47) for 212 yards.
Coming off an MVP-caliber season, Maye’s numbers weren’t stellar, as he recorded just 179 yards on 16-of-27 passing and three turnovers himself, but with the help of his defense, he fills Tom Brady’s shoes quite nicely.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws in the third quarter against the Houston Texans during an AFC Divisional Round game at Gillette Stadium. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)
It’s 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 total of 33 seasons – this season being both Maye and Bo Nix’s second. However, after Nix’s injury Saturday night, it will likely be Jarrett Stidham who starts for Denver.
